


A Shooting Star

by Vamphile



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon, Orgy, Season/Series 01, Threesome, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-09-18
Updated: 2005-11-29
Packaged: 2018-12-26 19:46:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 62,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12065784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vamphile/pseuds/Vamphile
Summary: Plot Bunny By PaddiesBrian is a Porn Star and Justin is hired to be the Virgin he pops in his new film.  It's total AU and i don't usually do that.as always cross posted at http://www.valerielewis.net/bj/fic.html





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from IrishCaelan, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Brian_Justin_Fanfiction_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in September 2017. I posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/bjfic/profile).

Justin took a deep breath “I can do this” he thought to himself, staring at the dog-eared business card in his hand.

It had been a rough couple of weeks. After the English Professor had walked in on him jerking off Chris Hobbes in the equipment room and called his parents, his life had been in a seemingly uncontrollable spiral. 

His parents kicked him out, and he’d been staying with Daphne for the past week, but her parents were pretty much ready to send him packing as well. He’d ventured to Liberty Avenue several times but never had the nerve to do anything more than stare, or gawk, depending on what he was seeing. He’d been propositioned, but had never had the nerve to follow through. He was beginning to wonder if he was even really gay, maybe he was just confused, like his father had said.

A couple of guys had pressed pieces of paper with their number on it into his hand but Chaz had actually talked to him for a few minutes, and offered him a job. When Justin saw the card he knew exactly what kind job he meant, but he also promised almost a grand a week, and that would enable him to get his own place, and save up enough to get the fuck out of Pittsburgh. 

He stopped thinking, tried to shut his mind down completely as he entered what looked like a rundown warehouse.

 

Brian

“Bullshit, I’m not doing it?”  
”Brian, this could be the best selling film of yours ever”  
“With an amateur? Do I look like I fuck armatures?”  
“That’s the whole point, Brian fucking Kinney, takes on the role of a lifetime.”  
Brian rolled his eyes. “I’m a porn star, not an actor, stop telling me what a great role it will be, and tell me how ugly this fucking kid is?”  
“We haven’t cast him yet.”  
Brian stood up, naked, towel hanging around his neck, and took another swallow from his water bottle. “Why are you even talking to me about this if you haven’t even fucking cast the virgin.”  
“Because there’s no shortage of virgins willing to give themselves up to you.”  
Brian walked away, to roll a joint and let Chaz panic. Of course he’d do it, but it was fun to watch Chaz try not to flutter and queen out over the possibility that Brian might back out of the movie at the last minute.

Justin 

Justin was surprised at how clean and well lit the inside was, and when Chaz saw him he was thrilled. In truth, he never dreamed the scared little blonde would show up, but he had hoped he would. Chaz may not be brilliant, or even smart, but he was a genius at finding couples with chemistry, and without even seeing them in a room together Chaz had a very good feeling about how this light skinned blonde boy with painfully blue eyes would play against the hazel eyed brunette who was currently giving him so much trouble.

Justin swallowed his fear and approached Chaz, who couldn’t have been nicer, more complimentary, or more enthusiastic about the new film.

“You told me I could make a thousand a week.” Justin said  
“You will, we’ll be shooting for two weeks, and pay you two thousand, and if things work out, I’m sure we’ll have another project for you.  
Justin nodded, trying not to let his mind race regarding what he’d have to do for that money.

I just want you to meet your co-star. Chaz had a feeling that meeting Justin may be just the thing to interest Brian in the role.

He walked Justin over to Brian's dressing room, it was hardly glamorous, in fact it was just the basics, but somehow, the basics in simple Italian designs with clean lines and no clutter made it seem all the more luxurious than a hundred velvet pillows and a thousand scented candles.

Justin stepped inside the door hesitantly to be greeted by the sight of the most beautiful man he’d ever seen.

Brian was almost ready to tell Chaz he’d do it when a pair of blue eyes hit him in like a ton of bricks. He inhaled deeply, forgetting that he had a cigarette in his hand and almost coughed. Instead he grimaced, exhaled slowly and looked at Chaz.   
“Who the fuck is this?”

“This” Chaz replied, swirling his wrists and gesturing towards Justin like a game show hostess “Is your new co-star.”

Brian stood up, coming close to Justin, leaning into him until they were sharing air, but not touching him.

“You ever done this before?”  
Justin shrugged trying to play it cool, his head was spinning “sure, lots of times.”  
Brian smiled, knowing the boy was lying.  
“How old are you?”  
”21” Brian just looked at him, “What year were you born?”  
Justin's brow furrowed for a second as he did the math 1979.  
“Bullshit, you had to think about it.”  
”How old are you really?”  
“20”  
Brian continued to stare, not backing off, and Justin could feel the heat emanating off the man, he wanted to wrap his arms around Brian's neck and pull him in for a kiss, but he was currently under interrogation from those eyes.  
“19”  
“What is this a missile launch?”  
Justin sighed “18”  
Brian smiled, really?  
“17” Justin admitted defeated.  
Brian walked off, calling back over his shoulder “fuck that, I’m not getting arrested and giving up my career for a anyone Chaz, not you and not that piece of blond boy ass”  
Chaz glared at Justin “You couldn’t have just stopped at eighteen?”

Justin apologized, and prepared to leave, trying to figure out what to do next.

Chaz hadn’t been wrong; the chemistry between the two was palpable. He pulled his phone out of his pocket while gesturing to his assistant to stop Justin from leaving.

After Chaz had made the calls and arranged for expensive documentation proving Justin's age to be 21 and thus legal, he went over to talk to Justin, he said kind, calm soothing things and for the most part he meant them, but his real goal was simpler, get Brian popping this kid on tape and they’d make millions.

Keep this couple together for as long as it was hot, and they’d never have to work again, because he had a feeling that the chemistry there wasn’t one of those things that disappeared once they’d fucked.

Two days later, the scene had been set, and lit. It was a simple concept, cocky stud encounters young virgin under a streetlight after a debauched night of clubbing and takes him home, hot sex ensues.

They’d tape the actual “acting” parts later, the streetlamp, the dialogue, etc. He could tell that Justin was too nervous to concentrate on anything until this scene was completed. He didn’t blame the kid. Chaz and Brian had a business only relationship, and it worked well that way but there were times when Chaz, hell, when any gay man would look at Brian and think “that’d be a good time.” To lose your virginity to Brian Kinney, the fucking kid should be paying Him, Chaz thought to himself.

Justin was nervous, the platform bed for the scene was lit with blazing lights from above and there were 8 neon bars glaring against his skin making him feel even more naked, and look even paler, younger, and more vulnerable.

Brian walked onto the set, and saw them arranging the pillows, duvet, and his co-star and he was hard. That was one of the reasons he made such a good adult movie actor, he never had difficulty getting it up, the thing was, he didn’t need it up quite yet. It was the way the were arranging his hands, his arms, the way he watched the kids chest rise and fall in shallow nervous breaths. Brian promised himself he’d make sure the kid remembered this day fondly.

“We’ll put most of the dialogue in later” Chaz said, “So just talk to him in a whisper, and remember, you’re supposed to be gentle.”

Brian approached Justin, seeing his eyes widen in fear, but he refused to drop eye contact he saw Justin open his mouth, licking his pink lips, and realized that while the twink was scared, he wasn’t turned off, Brian's eyes raked down Justin's body and the evidence of Justin's arousal made him smirk.

He walked confidently towards the boy trying to ignore Chaz’s direction “good, now remember, do your thing, but take it slow, don’t hurt him and make it hot.”

Brian wanted to gag Chaz at the moment, he would “do his thing” and it would be hot, he was Brian fucking Kinney, but he wanted fuck what was the kids name….Jason. Jared…Justin… he wanted Justin to be able to lose himself as well, and as long as Chaz was yelling out directions that wasn’t gonna happen.

He leaned in to kiss Justin, his hands roaming, as he felt Justin respond, his hands roamed down Justin's body and he heard Chaz’s approval.

He leaned in close and whispered in the blondes ear, “Ignore him, ignore everything else, right now, it’s just you, and me, and this bed.” Justin closed his eyes and leaned his head back, listening to Brian's soft voice, hot in his ear, and tried to follow his directions.

Brian turned him over and Justin wanted to protest, he wasn’t ready, he was… but Brian didn’t just push himself inside the way Justin was assuming he would, instead his tongue started down Justin's back, sliding slowly down his spine, causing shivers, goose bumps and for his hard on to throb even more.

Brian swirled his tongue over Justin's back and then opened Justin up with his hands.

Justin was startled, but he heard Brian whisper, “Relax, I just want to taste you.” And Brian began to run his tongue in circles against his puckered hole and Justin's groan came from deep inside him.

It was working, Brian was aware of the cameras zooming in for the close up of his tongue fucking Justin, but Justin was aware of nothing other than the sensations Brian was creating. The boom lowered just a bit to catch the involuntary wanton moans that Brian was eliciting from Justin, and all Justin could do was arch his back and push against Brian's tongue.

When Brian finished, and gently rolled Justin over, he moved quickly to cover Justin’s body with his own, not for privacy or modestly but because he wanted to keep this kid in the world he was trying to create for him, the world where it was just them, just their bodies, no cameras no lights, no Chaz yelling supporting statements from the side.

He lifted Justin's legs on to his shoulders, describing everything he was doing. 

Justin turned his head to the side, and suddenly remembered where he was, he tensed up, and Brian moved in closer, his hard cock pressing against Justin's ass. “Kid.”  
No response.  
“Hey kid.”  
Justin's eyes seemed glued to the boom operator standing five feet from the bed.  
“Justin!”  
Justin turned his face back to the man who was holding his ankles.   
“Just look at me”  
And Justin did, staring into what could only be described by this 17-year-old boy as “the face of god.”  
Brian expertly flipped the top up on the bottle of lube, and Justin yelped a little at the cold. “It’ll heat up” Brian said, a half grin on his face.

“Not…Not…”  
The kid was about to say no? Brian stopped. He wasn’t into rape scenes.  
“Not, you know, without ummm..” Justin blushed  
“A condom?” Brian asked.  
“Justin blushed again but Brian just reached across for one, (he wasn’t into risking his life to bareback it, and had never intended to do so.”

Justin was too embarrassed to look at him but he also wanted to feel what came next the pressure of Brian's erection against his ass was too hot he didn’t know how much more he could take.

Brian handed Justin the condom, wanting to pull the kid’s attention back to him, back to them, away from what was going on around the bed. Justin’s hands fumbled a little and Brian decided not to think about why he found that endearing.

When it was on he pushed against Justin.

 

Justin couldn’t believe he’d agreed to go through with it, but the money was too good to pass up so once Chaz got his papers in order he’d come to the studio. He’d been almost okay with everything until Brian stepped under the lights. 

Justin thought he might pass out. The hot lights above him, the unbelievably hot man in front of him, and then he pulled himself back to reality, listening to Chaz’s direction and trying to follow, but it was difficult, Brian kept pulling his attention back to what he was doing to his body.

Every time he tried to focus on the crew, or the camera or Chaz Brian pulled him back, with a flick of his tongue, a husky whisper in his ear, a knowing smile, and soon Justin lost himself to Brian's words, “it’s just us, just you and me.” 

Then Justin was scared, he needed the money, but he wasn’t so desperate he was willing to risk his life over it. He started to say something about it, and Brian seemed to know just what he was saying. He handed Justin the condom and Justin tried to keep his fingers from shaking as he put it on Brian. And then he felt him, pushing against his lubed ass, and Brian was right, the lube was already warming up. He was scared, this was it.

He felt Brian push a little, and listened as Brian whispered to him “relax, just relax and breathe” and he did the second part and tried desperately to relax, but ankles on a strangers shoulders, naked to the world about to be fucked for the first time, this is not a situation conducive to relaxation.

Brian pushed in further, feeling how hot and tight the kid…Justin was. He moved slowly, letting Justin get used to the feel of him inside. 

“It hurts, does it always hurt?”  
”A little’, Brian whispered, “but that ‘s a part of it.” He saw the pain in Justin's expression but the passion wasn’t gone, and the panic was. He pushed all the way into him and leaned his head over Justin's, kissing him deeply, trying to block Justin's view, keep his attention focused on what was happening to him.

“Look at me.” He said again “I want you to always remember this, so that no matter where you are or who you’re with, I’ll always be there”

Justin opened his eyes, blue eyes locked with hazel and Brian began to move inside Justin. Justin couldn’t focus on anything else, his hands clenched at the sheets, his body felt nothing but the need for Brian to fuck him and his mind was gone.

He felt Brian lean against his chest, folding him in half, kissing him. Justin's erection rubbed against Brian's abs as he continued his steady movements inside Justin, bringing him to the brink, and pulling back a little, only to bring him right back to the edge.

Justin was moaning, incoherently.

Chaz silently motioned to the second cameraman to focus on Brian's face, Brian was a great fuck, he wasn’t a great actor, and he was getting off on this, more than Chaz had seen him do in a long time. He leaned back, head thrown back, mouthing silent syllables as he kept up his steady rhythm with the kid, their bodies fit together perfectly, Chaz’s instincts has been right, and when the kid shot, between their chests while Brian was kissing him Chaz didn’t even complain that Brian hadn’t been paying enough attention, hadn’t pulled off the kid for the money shot. Chaz was pretty fucking sure he’d gotten the money shot, as Brian came just moments after Justin, groaning loudly and finally collapsed on top of the kid.

Justin couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, didn’t care. Brian was on top of him, their chests heaving against each other, his come gluing them together.

Eventually Brian pulled himself off of Justin, took off the condom, and threw it to the side, knowing someone would take care of it.

“Not bad kid.” he said, as he headed off to his dressing room to shower.


	2. A Shooting Star

Justin got up from the set, pulling his robe tightly around him, embarrassed, his face bright red. He had a much smaller dressing room; it had been a closet a week prior, but the privacy was appreciated as he felt his knees still shaking. He felt seared by Brian's touch, as if he could still feel him inside. He knew that the guy was an actor, but was he really that good of an actor? Had he really felt nothing, the entire time? Justin found it hard to believe and was lost in his own thoughts when there was a knock on the door.

“Come in.”  
It was Chaz.  
“Hey kiddo, you were great, you think you up to shooting a couple of externals?”  
Justin took a large swallow from his water bottle. “I guess, um… what’s an external?”  
“Just the boring setup scenes to fill in the spaces between the fucking.”  
“Oh yeah, I guess I could do that.”  
“Great, I’ll have Brenda bring wardrobe for you in a couple minutes.”  
Justin just nodded.

The rest of the day went like that, Justin in a fog, unable to focus on anything, repeating the lines that they had eventually put on cue cards for him because he’d just found that the moment he read the line it left his head.

Brian was not amused, there was a reason he hated working with amateurs and this was it, fucking cue cards, it’s was three god damn lines. But he gritted his teeth and did his part as quickly as possible. He did have to admit that there was something oddly hypnotic about the kid’s eyes, and he usually hated the little schoolboy look that Brenda tried but the jeans and blue plaid shirt worked on this kid, then again, he’d seen his body naked and honestly there was probably very little that didn’t work on this kid.

The scene played better than it shot, Justin actually seemed squirmy and nervous which was what they were going for.

The call was for 7 am the next day and Justin left trying to figure out where he was going for the night.

Brian, for the life of him could not think of a time he’d ever done this before, or why he might be doing it now, but he invited the kid out for a drink.

Justin was as surprised as Brian by the invitation, but Brian shrugged it off “we can run lines, maybe we can lose the cue cards tomorrow.” Justin smiled a little   
“Yeah I know, I sucked.”  
“You did fine, first days can be nerve wracking.”  
Justin realized that this was actually the first time he’d seen the man dressed, at least the first time he’d been able to pay attention, the afternoon exterior shots were all a blur because every time Brian had to lean in and whisper “I can change all that.” pulling him forward by his waistband, Justin's head spun a little.  
He didn’t think it was possible but the guy looked almost sexier in clothes than out of them. His black jeans and white button-down shirt with the tank underneath skimmed his body perfectly. Justin had a very strong urge to pull the clothes off of him and ask for a rehearsal for tomorrows morning scene, but he had a feeling that Brian would laugh and leave, and so he followed him quietly to his jeep and got out at Woody’s, apparently an establishment Brian frequented often, as they poured him a drink before he’d actually reached the bar.

“What do you want?” he looked down at Justin  
The kid looked startled, “Um, whatever you’re having is fine.”  
Brian laughed, “Give him a beer.”  
“I need you functional tomorrow, I’m not sure a double Chivas on the rocks is gonna get us where we need to go.”  
They drank in companionable silence for a few minutes, Brian's eyes cruising the room for a likely prospect, but finding none on a random Thursday evening. When he was finally ready to go Justin could barely keep his eyes open.  
“Where can I drop you?” Brian asked.  
“Oh um… Justin thought about it, and realized that it was after midnight; he couldn’t go back to Daphne’s at this hour. He hadn’t really thought this through.  
“I’m good” he said, I can walk from here.  
”It’s not the safest of neighborhoods, where do you live.”  
Justin fluttered his hand in a general direction.  
Brian sighed.  
“Do you have a place to stay?”  
”What? Yeah, of course, it’s just…”  
Brian continued to look at him, “it’s late, and I don’t want to wake them up.”  
“You don’t have a key to your own house?”  
”I’m not living at home right now, but I’m gonna get a place, you know, soon.”  
Brian nodded, “you can stay with me tonight.”  
“No, I couldn’t” Justin wanted to jump in the jeep and kiss the man on the mouth but he was trying to play it cool.  
“We’ve got a 7 am call tomorrow, and if you sleep on the streets you’ll be all sweaty and gross, so just come stay at my place, I’m not doing you a favor I’m doing me one.”  
Justin smiled at that, and let Brian take him home.

Brian's apartment was eerily like the set, at least the bedroom was, Justin was about to comment on it when Brian dropped all his clothes to a pile on the floor and crawled into the now familiar platform bed. 

“Yeah,” Brian said, “Chaz it good at a lot of stuff, set design isn’t one of them, so he just made it look like my place.”  
Justin smiled, and crawled into the bed next to the older man.  
“What the fuck are you doing?”  
’I’m going to bed.”  
“On the sofa.”  
Justin's heart sank, he knew he’d have another go at the man in the morning but he was hoping for… he wasn’t even sure what. But he decided to take his chances. “Your sofa is all leather and looks uncomfortable he said, snuggling deeper under the covers.

The bed was a California king, so there was plenty of space for both of them, and it wasn’t as if Brian wasn’t used to avoiding tricks who spent the night so he simply sighed, and mumbled something about 1800.00 an hand tied goose down pillows before drifting off.

Justin, as tired as he was, also felt a little wired, it had been a big day and he was dying to share it with Daphne, but for the moment, he found himself content to try and match his breathing to the man laying beside him, and when he was sure Brian was asleep, he curled his body up against him and slept soundly until he was roused by the sound of a deep voice blaspheming god, and clocks and chivas regal on the rocks.

Justin rubbed his eyes, “what’s wrong”  
“It’s 6:45” we’re due in 15 minutes, why didn’t you set the alarm?”  
Justin looked at the man as though he might be retarded, “I don’t even know where your alarm is.”  
“Right, why didn’t you tell me to set the alarm.”  
Justin continued his blank “duh” stare until Brian backed down realizing that while this sucked, it wasn’t the twinks fault.

Just get dressed, we’re going to be late and Chaz is gonna queen out so bad he’s gonna strain a wrist.

Justin giggled, and pulled on his cargo pants and t-shirt from the day before.

Christ, I have to fuck you in like half an hour, take a goddamned shower.

Justin complied, and was surprised when Brian joined him in the stall.  
“Christ, the water’s cold.” And Brian turned the water temperature up so high that Justin actually stood away from the spray. Brian in too much of a hurry to think about what he was doing soaped the boy down, and then moved on to himself.

Justin did his best to maintain his composure and Brian's hands sought out every inch of his body and covered it with an expensive smelling lather, and then wrapping one arm around his waist pulled him under the hot spray. Soon Justin's body acclimated itself to the heat, and he found himself unable to hide his arousal as they stood chest to chest.

Justin instinctively leaned up to kiss Brian who responded before he could think about what he was doing.  
“Save it for when the cameras are rolling.” he said as soon as he regained his composure, and rinsed the conditioner out of his hair. He stepped out of the shower and handed Justin a towel. The kid took his fucking time about drying off until Brian ran out of patience and used his own towel to dry the kid’s hair and gently but efficiently dry his skin.  
“C’mon, well eat after the scene is shot, I’m sure if Chaz gets his way you’ll be getting a high protein breakfast in no time at all.  
And with that Brian pushed Justin out of the loft and set the alarm before closing the door behind him.

The set was bustling with people by the time they got there, and Chaz was beside himself.  
The director approached Brian, about to chastise him when the taller man stopped him with a look.   
“Fuck off, we’re here now.”  
Chaz recognized the look. Brian hadn’t had coffee yet. He poured him a cup himself and then backed away slowly.

20 minutes later Brian was naked on the bed, reciting his lines. Chaz had rewritten the script a little after seeing Justin's inability to concentrate in Brian's presence, he talked less, and had a lot more written direction of “longing looks, or confused glances” Justin played his part perfectly as he and Brian had a much more satisfying shower scene then they had earlier in the day.

It was noon when Chaz finally called lunch. Justin didn’t think he could eat a thing but once he eyed the deli tray he realized he was starving. He was wolfing down his second sandwich when Brian sat across from him, looking at his lunch with disgust. “Christ, how can you eat that shit?”  
“I’m hungry.” Justin shrugged, his mouth full of food.  
Brian smirked; the kid looked eight years old.  
“Friends parent’s aren’t feeding you?” Brian was trying to stay glib about it but as he considered last night and the kids eating habits today he wondered where he WAS staying and if maybe he wasn’t eating.  
“No, I just eat like a football player, at least that’s what my mom always said.” Brian's shoulders relaxed, and he ignored the odd surge of concern he’d had for the boy. 

The big scene for the day was finally lit and ready, it was supposed to be a seduction scene, lots of extras. Brian pretends to dance with the local talent Chaz had scouted from a nearby club. Justin come in, watches Brian with the two men and simply takes off his shirt and begins dancing, the two men are drawn to him, and Brian eventually moves them away and takes the kid for himself.

Both Brian and Justin were fine with the scene, but one of the extras kept moving his arm wrong, or turning his body oddly, and every time Brian went to make his move on Justin the extra would end up almost tripping, or flailing, twice he ended up slapping Justin's bare back accidentally. Justin flinched but said nothing and started the scene from where they’d left off, the third time the stupid dancer moved against Brian's syncopated rhythm and ended up knocking Justin off balance, crashing him to the floor Brian’s temper flared.

“Get this fucking loser off the set, he’s beating the shit out of the kid.”  
Justin heard the anger, and at first thought it was directed at him, when he realized it was aimed at the dancer who’d been pissing him off all afternoon he felt better. But still he didn’t want anyone to get fired. He stood up.  
“I’m fine, it’s okay.”  
Brian took Justin's head in his hands running his fingers through his hair. At first the blonde thought it was some sort of affectionate maneuver but he soon realized he was looking for bumps, so he swatted Brian's hands away. “I’m fine.” And took a step backward.

They pulled another extra from the dancers, and let the uncoordinated asshole go. The fired man tried to explain that Brian was a terrible dancer and it was impossible to keep a rhythm with him, and while everyone knew this to be true the fact of the matter was that Brian was the star, not this no name club kid, and thus, he was gone.

The new dancer was better, he managed not to get tangled in Brian's feet, or to knock Justin into the wall, and when Brian finally pushed the two men off of Justin, and they were dancing together, Chaz knew he was going to be a very rich man. 

Brian dipped his legs and lifted the kid up by the waist. The surprised look on his face and then his head thrown back in a smile said it all. Brian spun them once and Chaz yelled, “CUT!”

Walking away from the scene Brian saw Justin's back, there was a large red mark where the idiot had smacked him and he felt an odd surge of protectiveness for the kid, he was young, he had no idea what he was getting into and this was one of the least dangerous scenes they’d shoot all week. 

He took a few long strides to catch up with Justin.  
“There’s a lot of dialogue tomorrow”  
“I got the script.”  
“We really should run lines tonight, why don’t we have dinner at my place, and get the scene down.”  
“Really?”  
Brian just stared at him, he didn’t ask things twice.  
Justin understanding he’d made some sort of social faux pas tried to play it off. “I mean cool”  
Brian smiled and they both got back into his jeep, scripts in hand.

“Thai alright?”  
”Sure.”  
Brian placed the order and they sat on the sofa, going over the dialogue for the next days shoot.  
“Shit” Brian said, pouring himself a scotch, this is the worst writing I’ve ever read.”  
“Well, it’s gay porn, what were you expecting?”  
Brian laughed again, and wondered how drunk he was…and then remembered he hadn’t actually had anything to drink yet, why did this kid make him laugh so goddamned often?

“I don’t believe in love, I believe in fucking, you get the maximum amount of pleasure with the minimum amount of bullshit.” 

“I don’t believe that”  
“Love is something straight people say to convince themselves they’re happy, if that’s what you want go find a nice little girl, settle down and marry her.”

Justin paused for a moment, “this is the stupidest bullshit I’ve ever read.”  
“To quote a friend “it’s gay porn what did you expect.”  
Justin laughed and also felt a warm feeling in his heart that Brian had just called him a friend.

“Oh shit.”  
“What?”  
”Um, nothing.”  
Brian looked over the shorter mans shoulder trying to see what part of the script had him upset.  
“That?” he pointed at the stage direction. Justin turned bright red. “Um yeah.”  
“That’s easier than saying this crap”  
“It’s just that I’ve…um, I’ve never…”  
Brian raised his eyebrows “never?”  
Justin couldn’t speak   
“Fuck, I knew you were a virgin but you’re telling me you’ve never sucked a cock.”  
Justin studied the floor wondering if hoping hard enough would make it open up and swallow him. “Well it’s not that I haven’t wanted to but you know you can’t just walk up to a guy in a shower and start sucking him off.”  
”Hell, that’s what I did”  
Justin just stared at him. Brian continued, “it was after gym class, and I went back to get something, a notebook, my jock strap, I don’t remember, all I know is there was my gym coach, standing in the shower, wet, soap suds dripping off of him, and I walked in, sank to my knees, in the shower, fully clothed, and sucked him off.”  
“He didn’t mind?”  
”He loved it.”  
“Probably some old perv.”  
“He’s probably younger than I am now.”  
“Were you scared?”  
“Fuck, everyone probably is their first time, but it was a long time ago, I don’t remember any more.”  
Now, how about we practice that scene.  
“Justin's eyes widened, you want me to…?”  
“Let me ask you a question” Brian said quietly, trying not to scare the kid, but also wanting to make sure he understood the purpose of this particular exercise.   
“Do you want to fuck up, in front of the crew, or would you rather be able to do this on screen only once without me bitching about your teeth?” Brian smiled and Justin understood.   
“When you put it that way.”  
Just then the buzzer to the loft pulled them back to the moment.   
“Food.”  
Brian let the guy up, paid and looked at Justin, his gaze never wavering. “What do you want to eat first?”  
Justin was hungry, but he would never be able to eat with the butterflies in his stomach, and as his eyes took in his scene partners obvious interest in what wasn’t on the takeout menu the teenager walked up the few steps to the bed.

Brian smiled, the kid was scared but he had guts, and enthusiasm.

He dropped his pants, pulled off his wife beater, and lay naked on the bed.

“Just relax your mouth, cover your teeth and breathe through your nose.”  
Justin tried to remember all of this as his head lowered over Brian's cock, but the smell of him and his obvious interest in the proceedings made thought too hard.  
“Wait” Brian said, seeing the boy’s nervousness and figuring it would be more painful than anything if he just let him practice like this.

He pushed Justin back on the bed, pulling off his jeans and throwing them across the room… “Now, pay attention.”

Brian's expert mouth started slowly, running his tongue with soft flicks along the length of Justin's surprisingly large dick. He ran his tongue around the head, and then lowered his head over him and took him fully to the base.

Justin felt what Brian was doing, tried to concentrate on the technique but his brain was buzzing and the sensations Brian was causing were better than anything he’d ever imagined. When he felt himself slide to the back of Brian's throat he groaned. Brian lifted his head and released him from his mouth entirely.

“Justin. Look at me”  
“Blue eyes met Brian's.”  
“Pay attention, I’m not doing this for my health.”  
“Yes you are, you don’t want me to bite you tomorrow.”  
“Brian smiled again, the kid was fucking smart. “Okay, maybe I am doing it for my health, but pay attention anyway.”  
Brian moved up, putting another pillow behind Justin's head so that he would have a better viewing angle, and arranged himself between his pale thighs, so that Justin could watch everything. “Don’t close your eyes.” It was an order.

And Brian started again, stopping occasionally to describe what he was doing, and why. “You see, if I put my hand here” he explained, wrapping his fingers around the shaft, then I can apply a small amount of pressure, and use my mouth to suck hard, and none of you feels neglected.”  
Justin did his level best to pay attention but when Brian took him all the way back into his mouth sliding his head to the back of his throat and swallowed, he bucked up against him and gripped the sheets. “I’m gonna come” he moaned as Brian continued. 

Justin tried to tap Brian on the shoulder, to let him know that he was close, but the man ignored him.

Brian knew what Justin was doing, and why Justin was doing it. He wasn’t sure why he was doing it, why he didn’t just pull out a clean dildo and teach the kid on that, or why he suddenly wanted to feel him come down his throat but he did, and he lost himself in the feeling while he moved his hand to Justin's balls, squeezing lightly, feeling them draw up and then feeling his spunk shoot down his throat, fill his mouth. “Christ, teenagers came hard.”

He lifted his head and smiled and then saw that Justin was bright red again, for a kid starring in a gay porn flick he certainly did embarrass easily. He covered his face with his hands. Brian positioned himself next to the humiliated teen, and gently pulled his hands from his face.

“I I’m really sorry.” He whispered.  
“It’s okay” Brian smirked “I knew what I was doing.”  
Justin looked at him surprised, “but then why didn’t you…I mean, you could have.”  
Brian leaned in to kiss him and Justin smelled cigarettes and scotch and himself on Brian's breath and began to realize that maybe he really had known what he was doing. Brian kissed him, entangling their tongues as they entangled their fingers with each other and Justin tasted himself on Brian and knew that Brian had indeed known what he was doing.

“Your turn” Brian said, glancing down at his now raging hard on.  
Justin nodded his head, less nervous now, and began with a few soft licks. The taste was amazing. He’d expected it to be dirty, or bitter, but it wasn’t, it was indescribable, musky and sexy and it was making him hard again. 

Brian lay in the same position he’d placed Justin, his head propped to watch the boy work. Justin was more relaxed this time, his hands roamed up and down Brian's hips and thighs, his mouth taking him inside, but not too deeply. “Go slow sonny-boy” he said, as Justin tested his gag reflexes. He paid attention to Brian's movements, he could tell when something particularly pleased him, or didn’t, and he was a willing and apt pupil. When he thought he was ready he took a deep breath through his nose, and opened his mouth as wide as it would go. He tilted his head as he’d seen Brian do, and took him down to the shaft. At first, he panicked and pulled up quickly.   
He looked up at Brian apologetically. “It’s okay, it takes time to lose your gag reflex” Brian said, amused at the kids intense study of the subject.   
Justin’s hand drifted up Brian's chest and Brian held it, entwining their fingers, offering the kid moral support, as he practiced. 

“If lessons in school were like this I might not have hated high school so much” Brian thought as the blonde head bobbed at his thighs.

Then he felt him go lower, felt him take it all into his mouth, and this time there was no panic, no immediate closing of his throat. Brian looked down, Justin's eyes were closed, as if in deep concentration, and as he swallowed, once, twice, three times, Brian held on with all the willpower he had not to just start bucking into him, fucking his mouth until he came, but the kid wasn’t ready for it.

So Brian gritted his teeth, his grip on Justin's hand was a little tighter, and soon he was going to come.

Brian let go of Justin's hand, to let him know, give him a chance to pull back. He continued to move his head up and entirely back down the shaft until his nose was buried into Brian's pubes.

Brian actually reached down to tap him on the shoulder, tried to say something, but Justin waved him off, and Brian almost threw his head back and laughed. The kid was the quickest study, and the most natural thing he’d ever seen. Brian let himself come, and watched as Justin swallowed, and swallowed, and then ran his tongue over Brian's softening cock, as if trying to get the little drippy parts of an ice cream cone on a summers day.

He had a very self-satisfied grin on his face when he moved himself to the top of the bed.  
Brian smiled and as Justin leaned in for a kiss he let him.

Then they ate dinner and tried to memorize the rest of the crap dialogue before the shoot tomorrow.

Nothing was ever mentioned of Brian taking Justin home.


	3. A Shooting Star

When Justin woke up in the morning his jaw was sore, but in a good way. They had fallen asleep running lines, and found himself again curled up against his co-star.

Brian had run lines with Justin until around midnight, when the kid started drifting. He just pulled the duvet over him and studied his lines a little longer before falling asleep. Almost as soon as he settled into bed the kid rolled over, throwing an arm across his chest, and settling his blonde head in the crook of Brian's shoulder. He grimaced and tried to ignore it as he went to sleep. But he slept better than he had in a while considering the lack of alcohol in his system.

This time the alarm went off on time. Brian got up and tried to rouse Justin, who seemed dead. 

Justin, it seemed, was a heavy sleeper, and eventually Brian did manage to wake him, but only by throwing a wet towel at his head. 

“Hey!”  
“We’re gonna be late, take a shower, lets go.”  
”Justin stood up groggily, and Brian tried not to notice that while rubbing his eyes with his fists and yawning widely looking like nothing more than an 8 year old boy, he also managed to look like the sexiest thing he’d seen in a while.

Brian pinched the bridge of his nose wondering if he’d become a pedophile by accident.   
Justin saw Brian's aggravation and started to move a little more quickly. He jumped in the shower and started to talk nonstop through his morning ablutions

Brian, who was shaving, something apparently the kid didn’t need to do on a regular basis, listened to him and wondered if it was still illegal in PA to kill people for talking too much. Deciding he’d look it up later he just yelled over the shower noise. “Talk less, clean more, we’re late.”

Someday Justin would learn that anything he said was adorable, after Brian’s second cup of coffee. Someday he would learn that Brian HATED talking in the shower because the shower had two purposes, the second was to be clean, and the first had nothing to do with words. But for today Justin felt oddly hopeful and very chatty. He continued to regale Brian with the on set gossip he’d picked up yesterday. If Brian had been listening with more than half an ear he might have been amused and or interested, as he wasn’t as privy to the onset gossip usually because he was primary topic of conversation. Today, he just gritted his teeth and wondered if makeup could cover the red marks that would be left on Justin's face once he’d duct taped his mouth shut.

Finally Justin emerged, dripping wet, his pale skin a little pink from the heat of the water. At least the kid had lost that stupid modesty thing. He walked around the loft as comfortably naked as he did clothed, which was just fine with Brian, as he liked him either way.

“So today’s the locker room scene, you gonna be okay?”  
Justin looked up, “what? Oh yeah, I’ll be fine.”  
Justin wasn’t so sure though. So far, every scene he’d had was with Brian. This scene was about his character branching out, using what he’d learned from his older lover. This meant that he was now supposed to be cornered by one of the high school star athletes, and eventually be fucked by him, and then a mutual suck off. Brian was always really good at the eye contact thing, at keeping Justin's focus on what they were doing together so he didn’t have to focus on the cameras. Justin hoped he could keep that focus when he was with this other guy, an actor he had yet to meet.

Justin was excited by the prospect, he wasn’t going to lie to himself about it, but he was also scared.

When they showed up on set the buzz of conversation got a little lower. Brian knew they were talking about him, them, he and Justin. The tall brunette stayed aloof, not making a habit of hanging out with cast or crew. He came in, did his job, and left. The fact that he seemed to be inseparable from his new co star was the topic of a lot of speculation. 

He shrugged it off. He didn’t give a fuck what they thought. He knew why he was helping the kid. (No he really didn’t) but he shrugged that off too and convinced himself it was to get the scenes right, to make this a decent flick that would pay off in the end.

He had a bunch of exterior shots, and a couple of back room scenes on the other side of the studio. He wanted to squeeze Justin's hand, to pull him towards him and make sure that he’d be okay with the coming scenes but he wouldn’t do it in front of an audience, and so he just said “later.”

“Later” Justin repeated and Brenda pulled him towards wardrobe.

Brian shot his scenes quickly and easily with second crew. They weren’t vital, and were pretty basic for a Brian Kinney Film, he walked into a bar, scanned for a likely prospect, moved with confident grace, ran his hand down the man, or men’s chests, and then let them worship his amazing talent.

The three guys Chaz had chosen were not bad looking, dark, cute smooth, and professional. They got the job done and he was wrapped by noon. 

Brian went to craft services to get a cup of coffee, when he saw that they were just beginning to shoot the second part of the locker room scene. Apparently Justin was still having his dialogue issues, stumbling over lines, and losing confidence when he should be angry, but he seemed to be getting it now. 

Brian stood next to Chaz, watching as Justin leaned in to kiss the other actor, who looked a little too old to still be in high school. 

The scene was running well, Justin leaned in for a kiss, the guy leaned back as if not interested. Justin looks, hurt and confused, and then the other guy takes the reins. Kissing Justin.

Pulling his arms over his head, trapping them with one hand, pushing him back against the lockers. Brian looked up when he heard the rattle of the metal.   
“Is he supposed to get that rough?” Brian asked, feigning boredom but never moving his eyes from Justin's face, trying to see he was in any pain.  
“It’s supposed to be rough, the guy’s aggressive, but rather than fighting it out…” Chaz trailed off.  
Brian nodded, clenching his jaw and continuing to watch, Chaz wanted this played aggressive, and Brian had never seen this guy they’d cast before, did he know how to make it look aggressive without actually hurting someone?

Nick, the other actor in the scene was doing his best to work with the kid, but he seemed more scared than turned on. He pushed him against the lockers and he fell back, a little harder than he’d expected. Nick didn’t want to stop the action if no one else was going to say anything about it, so he kept going.

He leaned in to kiss the blonde, an aggressive kiss, more taking than giving, and was wondering if the kid was acting scared or really was that scared, he’d heard rumors that they were working with a real live virgin, but he had heard rumors like that before, and saw no reason to think they were true this time.

He pulled Justin forward by his hips and turned him around against the lockers, holding his arms above his head with one hand per script direction. Justin winced, was this supposed to be played as a rape scene?

Brian watched Nick carefully, and saw Justin respond a little to his kiss, but when he turned him around and pushed him against the lockers the look on Justin's face was too much. His was squeezing his eyes shut, his face mashed against the lockers, biting his bottom lip, but not in the sensual way Brian had seen him do several times over the past two days but as if holding back from crying.

“CUT!”

Every eye in the studio turned to Brian. When he realized he’d yelled cut he was angry, at himself, at Chaz for hiring the fucking asshole who didn’t know how to play a scene without hurting his co star, and at Justin for not speaking up when someone was hurting him.

“What the Hell!” Chaz yelled, as he stared at Brian, who was already striding across the set, avoiding cables and wires with a grace he seemed unable to duplicate on the dance floor. 

The actors were still in position, Justin pushed against the lockers, Nick’s hands trapping Justin's above his head. They both looked confused.

Brian, pushed against Nick’s chest, and the actor stumbled backwards. He pulled Justin to him, wrapping his arms around the kid. “You okay?”

Justin wanted to cry, to kiss Brian a thousand times for stopping the scene, to bury himself in the feel of Brian's naked chest, the rough but pleasurable feel of his naked body against Brian's denim legs, but he just nodded instead. “Yeah, I was just surprised I guess. I’ll be okay.”

“TAKE FIVE!” he heard Chaz yell, and suddenly Justin realized that the entire crew had their eyes trained on him.   
“Chaz is going to be mad.”  
“Fuck Chaz, he’s an asshole for hiring that guy.”  
”It wasn’t nick’s fault, you said yourself sometimes things get out of hand on set.”  
Brian led Justin back to his dressing room, handed him a robe and a bottle of water.   
“I know they’re paying you, and I know you need the money, but if you’re not into it, you don’t have to do it, trust me, Chaz can work around it.”  
“it’s not that I wasn’t into it, it’s just….”  
“What?” Brian asked.  
“Nothing it’s stupid.”  
Brian shrugged “okay.” He didn’t pump people for information; in his experience they shared when they were ready.  
“I got pushed into lockers a lot, you know, last year, when I was in school, when people found out that I’m…”  
“A fag?” Brian asked  
Justin gave a crooked smile, “yeah”  
“Well we can change the scene, do it somewhere else, do it some other way.”  
“No we can’t Chaz wants a locker room scene.”  
Brian sighed, Chaz really DID want a locker room scene, and although he might be able to talk him out of it, in the long run, it would end up costing him a lot, owing Chaz favors meant that he’d have to cave on something else, like wardrobe or cast selection, and that could suck, and not in a positive and life affirming kind of way.   
“Okay, lets do this.” Brian said “in all those times you were getting shoved into a locker, they were trying to hurt you right?”  
”Yeah.” Justin said.  
“okay, so this time you own the scene, this time, it’s your call, the guy doesn’t want to hurt you, he wants you, he wants to fuck you, to blow you, to get you off.”  
Justin smiled, “yeah” he said slowly, breathily.  
Brian pushed down his arousal, and the tiny bit of …what the fuck was that, jealousy? Whatever it was he was feeling over Justin's reaction to another man wanting him like that.   
“Fuck, I’m becoming a god damned lesbian” he thought to himself as he worked at blocking pictures of Justin being fucked by someone else out of his head.

He and Justin walked back on the set and the hum of conversation stopped. Brian walked up to Nick and leaned his face in close. “Be nice to the boy.”  
Nick nodded.  
Justin handed Brian his robe, and several people exchanged glances.   
Brian fucking Kinney rarely showed up on time for his own scenes never came to watch others and now he’s playing wardrobe assistant to the amateur?

Nick and Justin replayed the scene, Brian still winced when he hit the lockers, but Justin seemed fine. Brian continued to watch closely as Nick turned him around, whispering in his ear, dialogue they’d loop in later. Justin nodded, and Nick rolled on a condom, pushing himself into Justin.

Justin felt better this time, Nick was being more gentle, and more importantly, he knew Brian was there, watching out for him. He opened his eyes as Nick pushed into him and his eyes met Brian's. Brian’s face was grim, intent, and Justin knew he was watching for any sign of pain. He didn’t want to piss Chaz off again, he didn’t want Brian to stop the cameras, and then , as he felt nick push past the first ring of muscle and slide himself deep, he didn’t want Brian to stop Nick.

Brian watched the change in expression. First there was a small tinge of fear, the kids face was as readable as a large print book, his eyes so fucking expressive that one day he’d either be a magnificent actor, or he’d never be able to act at all, Brian wasn’t sure which yet.

He watched his face change, from fear, to a twinge of pain. Brian gritted his teeth, he knew that was a part of it, that Nick was playing nice this time. Then he saw the passion, the pleasure, the desire in Justin's face as he forgot about the cameras, forgot about the crew, forgot about Brian, and lost himself in the feel of Nick, sliding into him, pushing all the way in and grinding his body against Justin's ass, making small circles.

Justin threw his head back, imagining it was Brian inside him, Brian creating the delicious feelings that were pulsing through him. It was if his heart beat with each push, his mouth was open and he gasped as his hand fell to his side and instinctively reached for Nick’s hip to guide him, to pull him closer, to keep him there longer.

Brian watched as Justin's mouth opened, his tongue licking his lips his head thrown back, his eyes closed. His hand moving to pull Nick further into him, closer. He knew the scene, Nick was going to fuck him, come and then go down on him, sucking him off against the lockers.

Brian convinced himself that he was headed back to the dressing room because he knew the kid was safe now.

There were a lot of people who would simply call what he was doing storming off.


	4. A Shooting Star

* * *

****

CHAPTER FOUR 

* * *

When the scene was finished Brenda threw him his robe and Justin looked around for Brian but he was nowhere to be seen.

He wandered over to craft services, but wasn’t really hungry, he walked past Brian's dressing room and was about to knock on the door when he heard Chaz’s voice behind him.   
“He left for the day, his scenes finished early.”  
Justin felt his stomach drop. Brian had just taken off without him.  
“Hey, kiddo, he’ll be back tomorrow.”  
Justin nodded quietly, went back to his closet of a dressing room, and changed quickly into his street clothes. Grabbed his bag and headed back to Daphne’s.

“So you’re really getting your own place?”  
“Yeah, as soon as I get paid, I’ve been looking around, it’ll be small, but at least no one can kick me out.”  
Daphne put her hand on her best friends back, you know, your mom calls every day to talk to you.  
Justin rolled his eyes. “Yeah as long as I don’t come anywhere near the house, I’m fine.”  
“It’s not that bad.”  
Justin shook his head, “you didn’t see my dad Daph, he was…scary.”  
“So what’s this guy Brian like?”  
”He’s not like anything, I mean, he’s not like anything you’ve ever seen before, or anything I’ve ever seen before, he’s amazing, I mean, godlike amazing.”  
Daphne snorted and Justin just glared. “You don’t understand, but…”  
“So he really let you stay at his place for a couple of nights?”  
”Yeah, it was late and I didn’t want to wake you.” Justin held back from mentioning that he had hoped it was more than that, but was mistaken.  
“Do you have scenes to do tomorrow?”  
”Yeah, I haven’t read the script yet, but Chaz said I had an 8:30 call.”  
“Can I see the script?”  
Justin pulled it out of his bag and handed it to Daphne.  
“Holy shit!”  
“What?”  
”This part” she pointed.   
“Oh we shot that already, that was the first scene I did.”  
“You did this, I mean, you let him do this, didn’t it…hurt?”  
”Well, yeah, but in a good way, and plus, a thousand bucks a week, not a bad trade off.”  
Daphne flipped through the script wide eyed. “Did you do this yet?”  
Justin glanced over to where her finger was pointing. “That’s the scene we shot today, it was totally hot.”  
Daphne nodded, and continued to read, “This is really bad dialogue.”   
“It’s gay porn what did you expect?”  
”Justin!”  
”What?”  
”Are you gonna do this?”  
Justin looked over and then grabbed the script out of her hand as he began to read what exactly his 8:30 call tomorrow entailed. He tried to seem nonchalant but his stomach had tightened into a knot. “Yeah, it’ll be fine, Brian won’t let me get hurt.”  
“I thought Chaz was the director.”  
“He is, but Brian's really good at making sure that…” Justin trailed off, and wondered if now that he’d proven he could handle himself, Brian wouldn’t be there for the scene, he wasn’t written into it except that there was a close up of Brian's face when he saw the scene. Justin knew enough by now to realize that Brian didn’t even have to be on the set that day to get the shot. He’d agreed to this, he’d go through with it. 

What he wanted was to run to Brian's and show him the script, to ask him for help, to get him to make Chaz drop the scene, but he didn’t want to act like little kid.

Brian was nursing a beer and reading over tomorrow’s pages when he came across the scene for tomorrow. His shots were easy, a couple of close ups, and couple of quick trick in the bar scenes, pretty vanilla, pretty easy, and then he go to Justin’s stuff.   
“God damn that fucking Chaz.”  
He picked up the phone, and realized he had no idea how to find Justin. He’d left before the scene was completely wrapped for the day, and they’d never exactly exchanged phone numbers.   
He wondered idly if Justin had read the script, if he had, he was surprised the kid wasn’t pounding on his door in terror. But then again, maybe he wasn’t as much a kid as he played. Maybe he’d been the one playing Brian all this time, putting on the schoolboy virgin act. Brian doubted he was that good, doubted anyone was.

He eventually passed out for the night, but not before setting his alarm early so that he could make sure he got there before the kid, he wanted to talk to Chaz.

“You can’t make him do this.”  
Chaz handed Brian a cup of coffee and tried to say very little until the caffeine had worked it’s way through the man’s system. Nothing could be discussed rationally until then.  
“It will be fine sweetheart.”  
“Did you just fucking call me sweetheart.”  
“Get over it, the scene will be beautiful, very tasteful.”  
Brian snorted, “tasteful, right.”  
Justin walked in to catch the tail end of the conversation.  
“The kids not ready Chaz.”  
There was a part of Justin that wanted to hug Brian close and thank him for saying exactly what he was feeling, and another that was angry.  
“I’m not a kid, and if I signed on to do the scene, I’m gonna do it.” Justin said, his jaw set.  
Brian saw the waver in his eyes, the way his body language denied the determined tone in his voice, but if he was going to insist, and Chaz was going to push, then Brian knew, there was no way he was gonna be able to do anything but mitigate the disaster he knew was coming.  
Brian walked back to his dressing room, raising his eyebrows and making the slightest motion with his head that told Justin to follow him.

Chaz sighed, watching the two walk off together, wondering if their chemistry on and off screen might be more of a liability than he’d bargained for.

“Seems like we have this discussion daily but…you sure you’re up for this?”  
”Yeah, I mean, it’s not that different from what I’ve done before right?”  
“No I guess not, just, more of it.”  
The lighting and sound guys were set, and Brenda pulled Justin into the middle of the set. It was designed to look dangerous, and the red background walls and black leather straps hanging from the ceiling accomplished that well.

Brian did that trying to look casual thing that he’d been so good at before he’d met Justin. Standing next to Chaz with a cup of coffee in one hand and a cigarette in another. “Who’d you get to run the scene?”  
”Don.”  
Brian nodded, he’s pretty safe I guess.  
“Has he ever hurt you?” Chaz asked.  
Brian shrugged, “I’m not a 17 year old kid without a clue.”  
“Yeah well neither is Don he’ll be safe.”  
Brian nodded, but didn’t move from his spot, Justin would be safe, Brian would be here to make sure of it.

They tied Justin's arms to the shackles over the bed and as he stood, feet firmly on the ground, Chaz reminded him to play the scene on the balls of his feet, as if he couldn’t stand. Justin nodded.

Brian watched as three men came on set. He recognized Don but not the other two. “Where’d you get them?”  
“Meathook.”  
Brian looked over at Chaz sharply, “You picked up actual leather daddy’s, those fuckers won’t…”  
Chaz put a hand up to stop him, “Real leather tops are better at it than amateurs who are pretending and you know it, calm the fuck down, it’s not your ass in the sling.”  
“No, it’s gonna be his.”  
Brian watched as the two men approached Justin, and tried to ignore how hot the scene really was, one of them was eating his ass, and as Brian watched Justin's face, Chaz checked the monitor and saw the amazing close up’s they were getting. The other mans hands were everywhere, until he sank to his knees, taking Justin into his mouth. 

Justin couldn’t believe the sensations, he opened his eyes and met Brian's gaze, and when he threw his head back again he imagined it was Brian's mouth on him, Brian fucking his ass with his tongue, Brian’s hands on his chest, his thighs, everywhere. He tried to focus on the feel of Brian, rather than the mediocre blow job he was getting from this guy, rather than the fact that he could hear the camera man’s heavy breathing as he moved in closer for a very personal shot of his ass. He was about to fall out of the moment when he felt the sting against his back. 

His eyes opened wide, he let out a yelp, and then the sound came again. He knew this had been planned but he had assumed that the sounds would be added later, he wasn’t expecting to feel the leather strips sting against his back. He tried to pull his attention back to the tongue in his ass, back to the lips on his cock but the sound of the whip hitting his back was too much. His head fell forward, and he tried to focus on getting a facial expression that would show pleasure, but when the next slap came he grimaced.

“Yell cut or I will.” Brian said through gritted teeth.  
“CUT!” Chaz yelled, and Brian, seeing Justin's tears no longer cared what anyone might think, he strode over and unhooked Justin from his bindings, pulling him close.   
“Shhhh it’s okay.”  
“Brian I’m sorry, I didn’t think, I mean, I read it but I thought it would be…” Justin trailed off, realizing what a fucking idiot he was, what made him think this scene would be any less real than any of the others.

“It’s okay,” Brian repeated, pulling the kid closer, taking the robe from Brenda and draping it over his shoulders.

The two walked off and Chaz called lunch.

Brian pulled the robe off of Justin's back once they were in his dressing room; he inspected the red welts and fought back the urge to kill Don. Fucking asshole, they hadn’t even prepared the kid for this.

He lightly kissed the red stripes and felt Justin jerk at the touch. He tried again, and this time Justin moaned a little. “Does it hurt too much?” Brian asked, running his fingers softly down Justin's back making sure Don hadn’t drawn any blood.   
“Not really, I just, I guess I wasn’t ready for it. I mean…”  
“Stop making excuses, we should have gone over the scenes again last night, I could have helped you.”  
Justin turned around quickly, you would have…”  
“No, helped you by telling Don what to do and not to.” Justin relaxed, it wasn’t that he had anything personal against the leather scene, and in truth, he could see where if he were prepared, if he had known what was coming, the situation might have been kinda hot, but he hadn’t and he’d felt completely out of control.

“What are we going to tell Chaz?”  
“I’ll take care of this one”  
“You’ve been taking care of all of them.”  
”Yeah well, I’m a good Samaritan.”  
Justin smiled. “I think it’s more than that.”  
“Oh do you.” Brian stuck his tongue in his cheek, giving him a mocking glare. “Don’t flatter yourself, this is about….”  
“A good movie, your career, money, yeah, you keep saying that.”  
”And I mean it, we’re not a couple, we’re not lovers, you’re my co-star, that’s it.”  
Justin's heart sank at the vehemence with which Brian spoke the words, but he tried not to show it. 

“Put your clothes on, lets get out of here and get some lunch, we’ll finish the scene this afternoon.”

As they walked out together Brian’s arm around Justin’s shoulders, he pointedly ignored Chaz’s flustered shouts, and they stepped into the daylight, both squinting a little as they accustomed themselves to the brightness.

They walked a few blocks to a diner, Brian was apparently known everywhere on Liberty Avenue, he was greeted by several people as he guided Justin to an empty booth.

“And who’s this?” the waitress asked, addressing Brian. She had a shock of red hair and was wearing more colors and buttons than Justin had ever seen on anyone before.  
“This is my co-star, Justin. Justin, This is Deb.”  
”Co-star, shit Brian, this kid can’t be legal.”  
Justin’s face turned bright red, and he almost bolted. Brian put a hand on his arm before he could take off.  
“Deb, would I do that?”  
”Yeah, you’re an asshole like that.”  
Brian smiled, “he’s fine.”  
Justin relaxed a little, the feel of Brian's hand on his arm, the way he seemed to be challenging the woman to argue with him, it all made Justin feel safer.  
Deb shrugged, “If you say so, but…”  
“I say so.” Brian said, cutting off whatever warning she was about to give.  
“So what can I get you?” she turned her full attention to Justin, who ordered.  
“She didn’t take your order.” He said after the Deb had walked away.  
Brian shrugged, “She’ll bring me what she thinks I should eat.”  
”Is she your mother?”  
Brian laughed, “No, but almost.”  
A few minutes later Deb placed a chicken salad sandwich, on whole wheat in front of Brian and a bacon cheeseburger fries and a coke in front of Justin. “Eat, you’re getting to skinny,” she said to Brian, who glared at her. Deb had that habit. She’d let him eat salads, and dry turkey sandwiches, for a while and eventually sneak in something with a few more calories, making sure that his primary source of nutrients wasn’t alcohol or coffee. Brian stole a fry off of Justin's plate. 

After lunch Justin was a little nervous to return to the studio. Brian felt his anxiety and pulled the kid into the alley between the studio and the warehouse next door. “You okay?”  
Justin knew he’d been too much trouble on the shoot already and was concerned that Chaz was going to decide he wasn’t worth the effort. He swallowed hard. “Yeah, I know what to expect now.”  
Brian nodded. “If you’re not, just call my name.”  
Justin looked at him questioningly, “it’ll be like your safe word. Just say Brian, and I’ll get Chaz to stop the scene. Here’s a tip, think of something painful, let that expression take over, and then as Don PRETENDS to hurt you, it’ll look more real.”  
“It wasn’t pretend.” Justin's voice was almost a whisper.  
“Yeah, I know, it was supposed to be, and it will be this time.” Brian's ground his back teeth together as he said it.

He and Justin tried to avoid the inquiring gazes upon their return. Chaz pulled Justin aside to talk to him and Brian stepped over to talk to Don. “He’s a kid, and he’s green, and he’s not ready for the real thing. He’ll fake it well, but you better be faking it too.”  
Don looked up at Brian surprised. The two of them had filmed a couple of scenes together in the past, and he’d never seen Brian actually give a shit about what happened aside from making sure that his skin never got broken. Don saw Brian's expression and just nodded. He also knew Brian well enough to know when not to argue.

They started the scene from the top. Chaz was watching from the front but Brian who just didn’t want to see Justin's face while those two guys were working on him, also wanted to make sure that Don kept to his word. 

It was a long afternoon, the scene was long and Brian refused to leave the set, concerned for Justin’s safety, but it was killing him watching them shoot the young blondes obvious enjoyment.

When Chaz finally called cut for the day Brian waited around for Justin.

Without a word he escorted him to his jeep and drove him back to the loft.

“Do we have a scene together tomorrow?”  
Brian smiled “we have one together tonight.”  
Justin's grin was too wide, too bright, you could read by it, and he leaned over and began to kiss Brian's neck, which only made him drive faster.

They were in the elevator, hands grappling with waistbands and jackets. Justin made a move to go down on Brian right there, but he pulled him back up. “Patience.”  
He unlocked the loft, and as soon as the door was shut had Justin pushed back against it, kissing his face, his neck, any skin he could find. 

They shed their clothes quickly, dropping them, tossing them, in a frenzy to feel contact of skin against skin. And when their naked chests were together, their tongues dancing, their teeth clicking, Brian pulled Justin up. Justin wrapped his legs around Brian's waist instinctively and Brian carried him over to the kitchen island, where he lay Justin on his back and opened a drawer. Justin wondered briefly if there was anywhere in the house Brian didn’t have condoms stashed, but then his attention was pulled back.  
Brian's hands were against his chest, tweaking at his nipples. 

He had watched Justin all afternoon, watched those men make him gasp and moan, and now he wanted to make him beg, to feel his need, to know that Justin wanted him. He could stop, analyze this and realize it was insane, unhealthy and unlike him. But fuck, he just did. Not. Care.

He leaned in again, kissing Justin, who’s back was arched, his body thrusting towards Brian who was pushing his erection against Justin’s ass, but not entering him.

He wasn’t going to ask for Justin to beg, he was just going to bring him to the point of need so intense that he dropped all pretense.

Brian’s tongue found a nipple and then his teeth pulled at it. His hands ran down Justin's arched back, pulling his chest closer to his mouth. His head moved lower, leaving a hot trail of wet kisses down Justin's body. He wanted to bite, to take little nips and mark him but he knew that Chaz would never let him hear the end of it, so instead he blew across the hot wet skin, making Justin tremble.

His mouth moved lower as Justin wriggled trying to move the head of his cock closer to Brian's mouth but Brian expertly avoided his attempts. Instead he moved his mouth to those perfect, pale thighs, licking, kissing, caressing.

He stood up again, hearing Justin whimper and pushed himself against the boy again, kissing him hard. When he pulled up, the blue eyes that met his hazel ones were pleading. “Fuck me.”  
Brian smiled, he was almost there. He kissed him again, pressing himself against Justin without entering. Justin tried to maneuver his body but Brian wouldn’t let him, he just kept moving his head, his mouth seemingly everywhere at once, on his neck, his ears, his shoulders, his nipples.   
“Oh god Brian fuck me please”  
Brian had heard what he needed, “you want me to fuck you?” he asked, as he pushed against Justin again, feeling the head of his steel hard cock press against Justin's hole, wanting to plunge into the boy with abandon but waiting.  
“Oh god, I need you to, fuck me, please, fuck me, I want you inside me, I…”  
Justin trailed off, out of words, just knowing that his need was all encompassing. Brian pushed himself in to the hilt and Justin moaned, deep, guttural, as if all the air had been pushed out of his body.

Brian didn’t move. He was savoring the feel of Justin around him, like warm velvet, and the look on Justin's face, his back arched, his head thrown back, mouth open, it was more than he’d given those fuckers this afternoon, and that’s what Brian had wanted, maybe even needed. To claim Justin as his again. 

He began to move inside the blonde and the noises the kid made were enough to make anyone come. Justin wrapped his legs around Brian's waist, crossing them at the ankles and Brian pulled him up against him, chest to chest, buried deep inside him Brian walked him towards the bedroom, where he dropped him on his back, holding himself up on his long well defined arms, making sure not to crush him as he started to pound into him, Justin meeting Brian’s moves with each stroke. 

He leaned his head up, trying to capture Brian's mouth, and eventually, Brian allowed him to, his tongue thrusting into Justin's mouth in rhythm with his body thrusting into Justin's ass.

“Brian” Justin moaned, as he felt himself about to come.   
Brian recognized the sound, it was a plea, and he began to stroke Justin's leaking cock, running his thumb over the tip and using the precum to make his hand slide gracefully over the shaft.

His mouth, his hand, his cock, all moving in unison as he felt Justin's entire body seem to contract. He felt him suck in on his tongue as if he wanted it for his own, and the muscles contracting around his dick were doing so in a rippling rhythm that left Brian breathless. He felt Justin shoot, and didn’t stop. He continued to fuck him, watching his body shake with the aftershocks as he milked him for every last drop. And as Justin continued to suck on his tongue as if it were his cock, he gave in to the amazing feelings and came himself. His head leaning forward, his mouth lowering to rest on Justin's shoulder, his body convulsing in pleasure and then finally, the two of them were simply laying, spent, naked, sweaty, sticky, and together. 

It was several minutes before either of them could speak.   
“Thank you.”  
Brian looked up and smiled, “Any time.” And they both laughed.


	5. A Shooting Star

* * *

****

Chapter Five

* * *

The next day’s shoot was mostly exteriors, reactions, dialogue. It was boring, and tedious and somehow Brian’s touch kept affecting him, making it erotic and tantalizing and torturously sexy.

Brian kept his focus, at least he tried to, and if anyone noticed that he made a few more errors in his lines than usual, that his intense gaze seemed more intense, they were smart enough not to say anything about it.

At the end of the fourteen-hour day Brian walked by Justin's dressing room, noticing for the first time how small and bare it was, but thinking back to his first few films, he realized that a private dressing room at all was probably a luxury. 

He leaned in the doorway, watching the blonde pull on a pair of faded jeans and the ugliest t-shirt he’d ever seen. “You ready?”  
Justin’s back was to Brian and he took a moment to compose his features. He was relieved. They hadn’t spoken about plans after the days shooting and he didn’t want to assume but he knew what he did want, and that was Brian.   
“Let me just grab my bag.”

The two walked out together getting into Brian's jeep.  
“You want to eat out? It’s only…”Brian glanced at the clock on the dashboard “fuck, it’s 10:30, nothing’s open but the diner, and I just don’t feel like dealing with Deb right now.”  
“I can cook.” Justin said  
“If there were anything other than beer and possibly an apple in my fridge I’d tell you that would be perfect.”  
“The market’s open, we could buy something.”  
Brian nodded, pulling into the parking lot   
They both blinked at the bright fluorescent lighting.  
“So, what can you cook?”  
“Oh, almost anything, my mom taught me.”  
“Well, won’t you make a great little wife someday.”  
Justin ignored the barb, “it beats take out every night.”  
Brian said nothing as they headed down the aisles. He watched Justin choose vegetables and other sundry items carefully. When everything was rung up Justin was about to reach for his wallet when he realized he wasn’t actually sure he had enough cash to cover it. Brian stepped in front of him and swiped his card through the reader. “You cook, I’ll pay.”  
Justin nodded.  
When they got back each carrying a couple of bags, Justin started searching through the drawers for what he needed. “You know, for someone who doesn’t cook, you have a lot of expensive kitchen equipment.”  
”Only the best.” Brian muttered as he poured himself a drink.  
“You’re not allergic to anything are you?” Justin asked over his shoulder while chopping vegetables.  
“Not that I know of, why, were you planning to kill me?”  
Justin turned around and smiled, “actually I was trying to avoid it, but you never know when the information might come in handy.”  
“Really?”  
“Yeah, I’m allergic to like, everything, so I have a list in case of emergencies.”  
“Everything?”  
”Stupid stuff, like Tylenol”  
“No one’s allergic to Tylenol, that’s what they give you when you’re allergic to everything else.”  
Justin shrugged and continued his meal prep, “well, I’m allergic to it, and penicillin and codeine, and flowers, and mushrooms, and blueberries, but not strawberries.”  
Brian was amused, the kid was babbling, it was endearing. He poured himself another drink; “endearing…what the fuck, who thinks like that?” he shook his head, downing the double in a single gulp.

Justin sautéed the vegetables, and dumped the pasta into the now boiling water; he lowered the heat on the stove, and pulled a beer out of the fridge.

“Drinking at your age?”  
Justin gave him a withering look. And Brian realized that now was a bad time to get fatherly on the kid, especially when he considered what he wanted to do to him after dinner. 

Justin pulled his script out of his bag, and began to read the pages for tomorrow at the kitchen island while keeping an eye on dinner. Brian grabbed plates and silverware and kept one eye on Justin waiting for him to freak out. He hadn’t read the pages for the next day, but Justin had freaked over each scene so far.

Justin read carefully, trying to make sure he understood what he was reading, and trying not to freak. He’d freaked every day so far, and he was tired of looking like a lame ass amateur who couldn’t handle what he’d signed on for. He bit his bottom lip, his brow crinkled as he read the scene direction.

Brian put the glasses on the table and noticed Justin's expression. The pasta was about to boil over and Justin moved quickly, pouring it into the strainer. Brian took the opportunity to see what was on the agenda for the next day. He read the page and scowled. There was a chance that Chaz was doing this entire thing to fuck with him, just to see how far he could push him. But the script had been set before they’d hired the kid, so maybe not. 

Justin put the pasta over the vegetables, grating Parmesan and Romano cheese into it, blending it together, and then filled two plates. 

He brought them to the table and Brian sat across from him. They ate in silence for a minute. Brian was surprised, the food was good, he’d thought the kid was bluffing. Justin noticed that Brian seemed to be enjoying the food and relaxed.

“So do you want to talk about tomorrow now, or after dinner?”  
“We don’t have to, I’ll be okay with it.”  
Brian gave Justin a look that made him feel as if he could see directly into his head. “You’ll be okay with it?”  
Justin shrugged.  
“Lets play a game” Brian said, putting down his fork.  
Justin looked, up smiling wickedly.   
“Not that kind of game” Brian said “we’re going to pretend that a few days ago, you were a virgin who’d never really done any of this shit, and that I’ve done a lot of it, and therefore know what I’m talking about. In this particular game, you will stop trying to act as though it’s all okay, and then perpetually fall apart every time you get in over your head, and I’ll pretend that I’m willing to lend you a helping…hand, with the new stuff.”  
Justin nodded not saying a word.

Okay, so in this part of the game we talk about the fact that you have not, in fact ever fucked a man, now, that’s an assumption on my part, is it true?”  
Justin nodded again.  
And in this game we are going to pretend that you have never fucked a man while being fucked, and having, Brian glanced down at the script sitting next to his plate, “at least four other men involved in some way.” Am I still under the proper assumption?”  
Justin nodded again. He swallowed hard.

“So, in this little game we’re playing, first you need to figure out what you’re doing so you don’t hurt your scene mate, who, I can’t help but notice, is me.” Justin's eyes widened, he hadn’t gotten that far in the pages.  
“They want me to fuck you?”  
”Why do you look surprised?”  
”Well, I just, I mean I figured…”  
“Yeah, I understand, but you also have to understand that I’m very versatile when it comes to ten grand a week.”  
Justin swallowed harder “you make ten grand a week?”  
Brian rolled his eyes, “yeah, apparently I’m big in the flyover states.”  
Justin licked his lips; “I’d say you’re big in any state in the union.”   
Brian groaned. “I’m going to be nice and pretend you didn’t just make the stupidest joke ever.”  
Justin smiled again, practically bouncing off his seat, he looked like a kid on Christmas, and Brian wondered if the kid would even make it to the bed let alone inside him before he came.

‘Now, we’re going to put away the rest of dinner, and move on to rehearsal, are you ready?”  
Justin nodded, trying to look serious, but he was smiling too wide and it didn’t work. Brian snorted a half laugh and took the plates from the table.

Once the dishes were in the dishwasher, and the kitchen was clean they moved to the bedroom. Justin was nervous and Brian was not thrilled that he had to break the kid in on this particular task. He considered calling someone, guiding him, and then felt an odd surge as he pictured the blonde’s small delicate hands on someone else’s hips. Nope, it would be him.

He pulled Justin onto the bed, slowly removing the ugly t-shirt, and the faded jeans. Leaving him in nothing but his black boxer briefs, his hard on defined by the clingy cotton material.

He stripped off his shirt and dropped his own black jeans to the floor standing naked and at full attention over the boy.

The first thing to remember, he whispered, as he leaned over Justin, kissing his shell like ear, licking along the curled lobe, is to make sure you’re partner is ready, or you’ll hurt them. He pushed a dry finger at Justin's hole and watched as the boy winced a little. “See, and that’s just a finger.”  
He moved the same finger to Justin's mouth, and the boy sucked on it, leaving it wet and warm, Brian pushed the same finger fully into Justin and his body took it inside, he wriggled against it, wanting more. “See, the difference?”  
Justin nodded. Whimpering a little as Brian moved his finger in and out of him.  
He pulled his finger out completely and Justin let out a small mew of disappointment. He rolled Justin over and straddled the boy’s thighs. “If you allow your partner to relax”  
He said, splaying his hand just above his lower back and making small but firm circles with his thumb at the little curved spot where his back became a perfect bubble butt, “then you can go deeper, and you’ll both enjoy it more.”

Justin was thrusting his hips upwards, wanting more than just Brian's touch.   
“If you warm the lube on your fingers first” he said, his voice deep with passion, but wanting to make sure Justin heard every word “your partner will thank you.” He leaned forward and popped the top of the lube bottle next to Justin's ear. He spread some on his fingers, and moved them together until it was warmer. Trailing his fingers lightly down Justin's back, leaving a glistening line wherever he touched him, he slowly pushed two fingers into him. 

Justin breathed deeply and exhaled with a moan. “And if you stretch your partner out like this” Brian said, scissoring his fingers back and forth inside Justin, turning his hand and doing it again, while Justin rode his fingers, seemingly trying to pull his entire hand inside him, “then even a cock as big as yours won’t hurt.”

Brian grabbed a condom packet and tore it open with his teeth, rolling onto himself and using some of the residual lube on the tip. “I shouldn’t have to tell you, but NEVER fuck someone without a condom, and never let anyone fuck you without one, no matter what they offer you. Not for love, and not for money.”

“Did you hear me?”  
Justin was beyond thinking. There was no response  
“Did you hear me?”  
“Yes, never without a condom, not for love or money.”  
Justin accentuated each word with a thrust of his hips. He wanted Brian inside him.  
Brian was amused at his need, and turned on by it. He pulled Justin up to his knees, pulling the pale back, that still showed a few residual marks from Don’s misguided actions, against his chest. He pushed into Justin, who pushed back, letting out a deep growl as his ass took all of Brian inside him.

“Now” Brian whispered in his ear “it’s important to give your partner time to adjust. You don’t just start fucking right away.” Justin was trying to listen but he didn’t need time to adjust, he needed to feel Brian pound into him. He pulled forward and pushed back again. Brian laughed, “of course some partners will be over anxious” and with that he began to fuck in earnest, Justin leaning his head back and listening as Brian whispered everything he was doing while he did it. 

Justin knew he should be paying attention, taking notes, whatever, but he wanted to scream at Brian to shut the fuck up. He turned his head trying to kiss the man, hoping that would get him to stop talking but Brian leaned his head away, leaning in over Justin, pushing them down against the mattress.

Brian angled himself differently and swept his cock against Justin's prostate making him yelp in pleasure. “That’s the sweet spot” Brian said, if you hit it right, there’s nothing but absolute pleasure, he punctuated the phrase with a hard stab at it that brought tears of pleasure to Justin's eyes as he bit at the pillow in front of him.

Brian moved his hand to Justin's cock, stroking it, fisting it, feeling the boy ready to shoot. “Come for me” he whispered into Justin's ear, and he did. As he was coming Brian continued his attack on Justin's sweet spot, swiping against it, pulling back and hitting it, only to swipe against it again. Soon he buried himself into Justin moving just slightly so the head of his dick was simply stroking Justin's prostate as the aftershocks of his orgasm make his legs tremble and uncontrolled sounds were ripped from him. When Brian came, still deep inside the boy, he threw his head back and knew that there was something different about it. He refused to acknowledge it at the moment. The lesson was far from over.

It was several minutes before Justin could even contemplate moving. He finally rolled over and sat up. Brian was laying on his back, he’d lit a cigarette and was simply waiting for the boy to recover.

Justin reached over Brian, grabbing a cigarette from his pack. He lit it, took a long drag, and almost choked. Brian laughed. “Do you even smoke?”  
”Sometimes” Justin said. Taking another smaller inhale this time. His hands still shaking.  
“That was… I mean…”  
“Yeah, I know” Brian said, he didn’t need the kid to tell him he was a great fuck, he was paid thousands for the fact.

Once both cigarettes were extinguished, Brian rolled over, handing a condom and the lube to Justin. “Let’s see what you’ve learned.”

Brian rarely bottomed, He’d read the scene and understood why Chaz thought it was necessary, plus there was usually one obligatory bottoming scene in most of his movies, it was about giving the audience what they wanted, but not since he was a kid, probably about Justin's age, had he taken it up the ass for anything other than money. The kid didn’t need to know that though.

Justin was careful; he tried to remember each step. First he rubbed the lube onto his fingers, warming it up before pushing a finger inside Brian. “Shit, I was supposed to help you relax.” Brian chuckled, “I think you did that earlier.” 

Justin was suddenly captivated. He’d never expected it to feel so…. There were no words, his fingers worked their way inside Brian as he tried to scissor them the way the brunette had for him. Brian was obviously enjoying the attention, his back arched, his ass made more available. Justin used one hand to ready Brian and the other to massage up and down the mans back, making the small circles at the small of his back the way he’d forgotten to earlier. 

He put the condom on, and leaned over the man, putting his head at the entrance, forcing himself to think about dead puppies and starving third world babies, or anything that would keep him from coming before he even got started. He pushed a little at the hole and felt resistance.

Brian felt him hesitate. “Go slow, you won’t hurt me” and Justin pushed past the first ring of muscle. He gasped. So tight, so hot, so good. He pushed in all the way, and Brian yelped. “I said go slow.”   
“I’m sorry, oh god, I’m…”  
Brian took a deep breath, his patience returning, “it’s okay, now, just stay still for a moment, your partner will let you know when he’s ready.

Justin leaned against Brian, holding himself up on his arms, waiting. Brian enjoyed this. He felt the initial stretch and pinch, and then the warm soothing feeling of being filled by Justin. He wanted to push back against him, to ride his hard thick shaft, but he decided to hold off just a little longer, see how long Justin could wait.

Justin was trying to repeat the alphabet backwards in his head. He felt Brian's muscles clamp around him, but knew it still wasn’t time. It felt like hours, like days, like a lifetime, and finally, Brian started to move under him, and Justin began to pull back, and slide back in, remembering to run his hands along Brian's back, and was amazed when he actually did sink in a little further. Brian pushed up against him until they were both on their knees; Brian's head buried into the pillows, Justin head thrown back.

He tried to remember everything Brian had taught him, moving himself inside, changing angles just slightly until he felt it. The sweet spot. He pushed against it and Brian let out a low moan. Justin knew he had found it. He grazed against it, and then pulled away, pumping into Brian, hard and fast, Brian pushing back against him. He found the spot again, and pressed into it the way the other man had, slamming his balls against Brian's ass, and staying inside him, rocking back and forth, each motion stroking at Brian's prostate until, to both their amazement Brian came, hard and fast, without touching himself, Justin's hands firmly on Brian's hips, nowhere near his dick.

Justin pushed it into overdrive, pulling out almost entirely and then pushing back in, stroking again and again against the very spot that made Brian come, feeling Brian's body buck and shake. Justin was in control of Brian's body and the power was heady, and he came, hard, deep inside him. Staying like that for several moments until he was finally soft enough to pull out slowly. He was rewarded with a small gasp of loss as he removed himself completely from Brian, tying off the used condom and dropping it in the trash.

He crawled up the bed only to find his mouth claimed by Brian's as their tongues battled and danced, and their hands groped and explored. When they finally separated again, sweaty and spent, Justin lay his head on Brian's shoulder. “You are amazing.”  
Brian smiled. “You’re not so bad yourself kid.”

The next morning the set was almost empty. Brian approached Chaz. “What’s up?”  
”Something’s happened.”  
“We being investigated again?”  
“No, the kids mother’s looking for him.”  
Brian gritted his teeth, “they’re looking for him?”  
Chaz shrugged, “We’re gonna have to take him off the set for a while, if his mom’s looking for him, it’s too high profile, we’ll get shut down for sure.”  
Brian nodded. “I’ll keep him at my place.”  
Chaz’s head almost snapped off he spun his head so quickly, “you’re gonna hide the kid from his mother?”  
“Not if he doesn’t want to be hidden, but he can stay with me until you pay him and he can get his own place.” Brian looked at Chaz pointedly, “it’s not his fault shooting’s delayed, you will still be paying him.”  
Chaz hadn’t planned on it but the look in Brian's eyes made him change his mind quickly. “Of course.” Brian nodded and walked away.   
“We have the day off, let’s go.”  
“Justin was full of questions but bit his lip and followed Brian. “Stay here, I’m bringing the jeep around back.”  
Justin nodded and when Brian appeared again, he followed him out to the car. They drove back to the loft, and when they were inside and the door was locked Justin finally spoke.   
“What’s with all the cloak and dagger stuff?”  
“Your mom is looking for you.”  
“What? Where? When?”  
Brian pinched the bridge of his nose, and realized the kid had looked less scared during their first scene. “It’s okay, you don’t have to go back, I just wanted to give you the option, but she’s got your picture circulating around Liberty Avenue, so it’s gonna take a couple of days for people to forget.”  
“I’m not going home.”  
“No one said you have to. Chaz will cut you a check next week, you’ll be able to get place of your own.”  
Justin nodded, “Right, a place of my own, but…”  
“Yeah, you can stay here in the meantime.”  
Justin sat down, “fuck.”  
“Well from all accounts your mom’s not mad, she’s worried, you could call her.”  
“I’m not calling her, she can fucking die.” The venom in his voice concerned Brian. “Hey, no one said you ever have to talk to her again, I have a mother, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”  
“She’s a piece of work, wants me home, right, she’s the one who told me to leave in the first place.”  
Brian didn’t say anything, he poured himself a drink a lit a cigarette, hell it was early for a drink but family drama brought out the need strongly.  
“She told me that if I wanted to avoid my dad anymore I’d have to leave.”  
“Anymore?”  
”He was really angry when he found out, afraid his having a queer son would get in the way of his country club membership or something.” Brian felt his stomach knot, he knew where this story was going before Justin even continued.  
“Beat the shit out of me, took a couple of weeks before the bruises healed, when I came home, hoping my mom could reason with him, she said she couldn’t, said she wouldn’t, has a family to protect and blah blah blah, so I stayed at Daph’s and started looking for work.”  
“How bad?” Brian didn’t want to ask, didn’t want to know, wanted to pull the words back into his mouth before they were out.  
“Nothing I couldn’t handle, bruised rib, split lip, the usual bullshit, I’m fine now, just not fucking going back to that bitch or my fucking father.”  
Brian nodded, wondering if it was still illegal in Pennsylvania to kill men just for sport. “Well, you’re okay now.”  
“Yeah, but Chaz won’t be able to use me again, not if my mom’s going all high profile.”  
“We’ll figure something out.”  
Justin picked up Brian's drink and downed it, “Fuck it, I’ve got the paperwork that says I’m 21, I’ll be able to find work somewhere, another film, a porn site.”  
Brian refilled the glass and downed it, pretending that was an excellent alternative. The kid, in a film, on a set where he had no control. “We’ll figure something out.” He repeated.


	6. A Shooting Star

Justin was more shaken by his mothers search than he wanted to let on but Brian could see it. The kid was fidgeting and couldn’t seem to sit in any one place for more than a couple of minutes before he would stand up, pace a bit and then sit back down.

Eventually he pulled a sketchbook out of his bag and seemed to settle into one spot, on the floor under the window, knees up, sketchbook on his lap, tongue visible as he bit on it in concentration. Once Brian saw that he seemed to have calmed down he moved on to his next step, which was the “figuring something out” part. He wanted to know if Justin’s parents had filed a runaway report or a missing persons report, he checked online but the public database of missing kids didn’t contain anyone fitting Justin's description. 

He called Chaz.   
“What’s going on?”  
”Nothing new, we’re getting other shots done, and I have a script for you, for the next project.”  
“You scrapping the last one?”  
”No, but I may have to work the footage into something else, or do a massive re-write, I don’t think an entire set full of people are gonna be able to keep their mouth shut about this kid, not with that hair and those eyes.”  
“You gonna use him again.”  
”Not anytime soon, I got what I wanted, we’re gonna make a mint on what we’ve already have.”  
Brian held back his anger. Chaz could be an absolute prick sometimes; he’d used the kid and then was willing to just throw him back.  
“Got what you wanted.” Brian repeated.  
Chaz belatedly realized how that sounded, “the footage I wanted. Look, I hired the kid to do a job, he did it, and now it’s done, I’ll pay him for the week, and he’ll find something else.”  
”Yeah.” Brian said hanging up.

Hours later Brian was distracted from his reading by a loud grumble. He looked up and glanced at Justin whose face had turned bright red. “I guess I’m kinda hungry.”   
His stomach growled again. Brian laughed.  
“What do you want?”  
“Oh I’ll make something” Justin started towards the kitchen, “we only bought stuff for dinner last night.”  
“Oh yeah, um….”  
“Pizza, Chinese, Thai, Mexican or Indian, that’s what I’ve got that delivers around here” he handed him a stack of takeout menus. 

They ended up with Mexican, and Brian took a moment to marvel at the kid, he was a bottomless pit. Following three tacos and two burritos with a copious amount of nachos and rum. 

Watching Justin lick the sour cream off of his fingers Brian was unable to stop himself, he took the hand and licked them clean himself.

Justin smiled, moving closer to Brian, until he was practically sitting on his lap, feeding him his fingers slowly as Brian sucked each one. He felt Justin's interest and he picked him up laying him flat on the sofa and crawling over the white leather arm on top of him. He felt the blondes breathing change and smiled almost sinisterly, but leaned in to kiss him and was rewarded with a hot waiting open mouth.

By the time they were finished Justin was on his knees against the back of the sofa, as Brian slammed into him, unable to stop himself. Justin wasn’t looking for Brian to stop any time soon, and met his every movement with one of his own, nothing mattering but the feel of Brian inside him, filling him, not just his ass, it felt like he was inside his entire body, like every nerve ending was being stretched out and played like a musical instrument. And when they came, Brian deep inside Justin and Justin with his dick stroking against the soft leather of the sofa they both collapsed, sweaty and sated, for the moment.

Brian glanced at the clock on the cable box; it was almost 10 “C’mon sunshine, we’re going out.”  
“But…” Justin started to protest but Brian pulled him towards the shower and he stopped.

When they were both clean, Justin's skin pink from the heat of the shower, he was finally able to start the barrage of questions.

“Where are we going? What if my mom finds us? What about the shoot tomorrow?”  
Brian threw a shirt at the kid, “put this on, we’re going out, you’re mom won’t be there, and no one there is going to be looking for you…in that kind of way, and we’ll worry about tomorrow tomorrow.”

Brian drove them a short way and parked on Liberty avenue, he pulled Justin behind him as they went down an alley and through a back door. He knew keeping a low profile would be impossible; making a dramatic entrance wasn’t what he was looking for.

Justin’s smile was broad when he felt the beat hit him, his body moving involuntarily to the music he began to move towards the dance floor. Brian grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him back. Justin smiled wider trying to pull Brian with him. The bartender placed a drink in front of Brian he drank it and leaned back on the bar scanning the place for a likely prospect before he felt the most likely one pulling on his shirt. Brian joined him on the dance floor, and they moved together, but Brian couldn’t keep up with the kid, he was too bouncy, too energetic, and too fucking happy, he kissed his cheek and went back to the bar, watching as Justin danced with seemingly everyone and no one at once.

“Who’s the new blonde cutie?”  
“My new co-star” Brian replied  
“He’s adorable” Emmett said as he moved forward to take his turn dancing with the boy. Brian had an urge to pull him back but resisted it. He leaned against the bar and watched. Taking another drink he saw the Justin was in good hands, so to speak, with Emmett. Emmett knew better than to try anything with one of his co-stars, at least he hoped he did, and wouldn’t let anyone hurt the kid. He scanned the room again and found what he was looking for. 

Brian stalked the guy moving in for the kill and it was too easy. A whisper in the ear, a hand sliding suggestively down the chest, a slight tug at the waistband and then he walked into the back room with no need check and see if the trick was following him. He kissed him hard and spun him around, watching Justin dance like that had done more for him than this guys kiss but it didn’t matter what the stimulus was, he knew what he wanted, and the guy was more than happy to give it.

He pulled the mans jeans down just below his ass and in a practiced motion pulled on a condom and pushed himself into him. It wasn’t the same, but he leaned in, trying to clear his head of the comparison between Justin and this random fuck. He leaned his forehead between the mans shoulder blades and pushed deeper and the trick moaned. Brian came quickly, and didn’t even bother to look back as he headed towards the bar.

His eyes had been scanning for Justin since he’d reentered the room but he couldn’t spot the small blonde, he was starting to panic when the kid walked up to him, beer in hand, Emmett following him. “Brian, I love this place.”  
Brian smiled.  
“I love this music” Justin added, “and I love you” he leaned in to kiss Brian who suddenly noticed the kid was more than just a little in love with everything. “What did you take?” he asked.

Justin shrugged, pulling Brian to the floor with him, but Brian wasn’t in the mood. “What did you take?” he repeated as Justin took of his shirt and handed it to Brian moving their bodies against each other.  
Brian sighed, “Who gave you the E?”  
“Emmett” Justin said, still bouncing, and Brian released him, relieved, and feeling guilty, he’d forgotten the kid didn’t know what he was doing, didn’t know not to take candy from strangers, not to go outside or into the backroom with anyone. Fuck, it was like having a four year old running around at Halloween. He moved back to the bar and joined Emmett for a beer.

“Anyone else try to slip him anything?”  
”Brian, I didn’t ‘slip’ him anything, I was being a good hostess, I shared”  
“Not worried about you Em, you always have the good shit.”  
Emmett smiled, “so why are you worried about, your Co-Star?” his tone making it clear that he thought the relationship might be more than that.

Brian took another drink, “He’s a kid.”   
Emmett nodded, “A cute one.”  
Brian smiled in spite of himself and watched as Justin continued to dance, the songs changed but the beat kept up and Justin swayed to the music, moving his body as if he were completely lost to anything other than the color of the lights, the sound of the music, and the feel of the hands all over him, ever changing feelings from ever changing partners, many of whom tried to pull him off the dance floor, but none succeeded. Justin had never felt like this before and was afraid if he moved off the floor he’d lose this sensation of freedom.

He hadn’t felt like this since when he was little and was sure if he swung high enough he’d touch the sky, and that’s how it was now, like if he just pushed a little more, danced to the next song, kept going he’d be free, he’d touch the sky, so each hand that tried to pull him away, tried to move him backward was rebuffed as he moved on to a partner who was willing to let him try for the clouds.

Brian watched, and several times almost took a step forward when it seemed one of Justin's dance partners wasn’t willing to take his no for an answer. 

Emmett watched Brian, amused. He’d known the man for years, and had never seen him give a flying fuck about what anyone was doing on the floor unless he was stalking them, and then once he’d taken them to the back room or home, he went back to being unaware of their actions, or at the very least unconcerned, but he hadn’t taken his eyes off of Justin since his return. Emmett watched the man struggle, his hazel eyes staying blank but the muscle in his jaw working overtime when a guy tried to convince Justin to take things a little more private. But he’d kept his cool…for a while.

“He’s gonna get dehydrated, I’ll make sure he drinks this.” Brian said, grabbing the water he’d ordered and moving his way across the floor.

Justin saw him and his smile got wider. Brian wasn’t sure that was possible. He was holding his beer and the bottle of water. Justin reached immediately for the beer. 

Brian chuckled but pulled it back and handed him the water. “I don’t want you to over do it.”  
Justin smiled, draining the bottle and pulling Brian towards him. As Brian's hands slid around Justin's neck the cold bottom of the beer bottle hit his shoulder making him hiss at the sensation, his body pulling away from the cold and closer to Brian's chest.

The taller man grinned and switched the bottle to his other hand, eliciting the same reaction. Justin laughed this time but pulled closer until they were one moving entity. Brian Kinney cannot dance. It’s a well-known fact, but he can move, with a sexiness that makes anyone watching forget that it’s not really dancing. He held Justin as the boy writhed in his arms and when Justin turned around, wiggling his perfectly round ass against him, he didn’t release his hold, but rather tightened it.

He pulled Justin with him, ready to take him home, but Justin resisted, he wasn’t coming down yet and still felt like he might be able to touch the sky, and said as much.  
“What?”  
“I think I can reach the sky from here.”  
“Christ how much did Emmett give you?”  
Justin shrugged again, and ducked under Brian's arms to move more freely. Brian moved back to the bar to watch him, he’d wear himself out eventually…maybe.

“So how long have you two been working together.”  
“Few days.”  
“Is he any good?”  
Brian raised his eyebrows at Emmett, “you thinking of taking him for a test run?”  
He was doing his level best to remain detached, show the kids the ropes, and then let him go but the detached part was just not working.  
“Far be it from me to move in on your action.”  
“He’s not my action, I told you, he’s just a kid I’m working with.”  
Emmett nodded, not believing a word of it. 

Brian's eyes darkened when he saw someone’s arms snake around Justin's waist, a tall man with amazing abs and great shoulders was pulling him against his chest, and Justin smiled and continued to dance, the guy pulled a popper out of his pocket and Justin took a hit, his eyes rolling back and his movements becoming even more free.

When the broad chested asshole put something on his tongue and leaned in to kiss the boy Brian made his move.

“Fuck off.”  
Justin was leaning his head back, about to accept the kiss when Brian appeared in front of him, and the broad chest and impeding kiss was forgotten as he moved towards Brian again, unaware of much else going on around him or the animosity between the two men. The guy swallowed the tab himself and Brian, too angry, or scared, but he decided angry was easier, to think pulled Justin across the floor out the door and had him in the jeep in record time.

“Brian, I was having fun”  
“A little too much fun”  
“There’s no such thing as too much fun, I love fun.”  
“You love everything tonight.”  
“Mmmmmm, everything’s really pretty tonight, you’re really pretty tonight.”  
Brian smiled, but then remembered that he was pissed off “What the fuck were you doing.”  
“I was touching the sky.”  
“So you said.”  
“But I really think I can reach it, I mean I can still reach it, if you drive real fast, will you drive me to the sky?”  
Brian shook his head, realizing that nothing he said was going to make an impact until the kid came down.   
“Lets go touch the sky Sunshine.” And he took them both back to the loft.  
Justin was giggling, and talking about colors, and sounds and how colors made certain sounds. He was elaborating and trying to reproduce the sound of blue when Brian guided him into the loft. 

He turned on the blue lights over the bed and turned out the rest of them, hoping to get the kid to pass out quickly and stop the incessant yammering and humming. No such luck.

“BLUE!”   
“Yes the lights are blue”  
“And they hum, hear?” Justin hummed with the lights.  
Justin started to take off his clothes, tripping only slightly as he kicked off his shoes, throwing his shirt back at Brian, “I think this is yours.”   
Brian's smiled, watching the blonde strip in and oddly graceful stagger. He also smiled when he saw that his little Sunshine was rock hard.  
“You make me so hard, Brian, every time I see you I want to fuck you, I want you to fuck me, I want to fuck.”  
“Very eloquent.”  
“Fuck me.”  
Justin was on his knees, moving across the bed towards Brian who was still fully clothed and somewhat bemused by the tweaked out little twink.   
“I’m very pretty.” Justin said, running his hands down his waist, to emphasize his words.  
“Yes very pretty.” Brian replied, trying not to laugh.  
Justin moved closer and pulled on Brian's shirt, frowning at it. “Your shirt’s still on, I hate that.” He started to undo the buttons. Brian let him slide the sleeveless black shirt off of his shoulders, where it fell to the floor. “Mmmmmm that’s much better.” Justin said as his hands moved to Brian's pants, “I don’t like these either, they’re supposed to be somewhere else.”  
“Where is that?” Brian asked, eyebrow up.  
“Off of you.” Justin replied as he pulled the jeans over Brian's hips and gasped, “you’re not wearing any underwear, Good boy!”  
Brian outright laughed this time. And stepped fully out of his jeans, he had to admit, the kid was fun like this and he was interested in seeing where this would go…okay, he amended to himself, he knew where this would go, he was interested in seeing how the kid planned to get it there.

Justin knew only one thing at the moment, he could touch the sky if Brian would just move a little bit closer, and so he pulled at his arm, feeling the electricity in his body coursing through him, feeling the soft glow and hum of the blue arouse him, feeling everything perfectly and just wanting one more thing, Brian inside him.  
He pulled Brian forward by the arm again and Brian took a step closer to the bed. Justin's mouth started working on his nipples.

“Mmmmmm they taste green.”  
“Tastes have colors?”  
Justin moaned against Brian's chest, “colors and sound, your tits taste green.” he giggled again, trying to hum the tune of green while also attempting to lure Brian onto the bed, but Brian stayed resolutely standing, watching Justin's antics.

Finally Justin seemed to pout and then a smile broke the clouds. He leaned in and kissed Brian, and then while working on Brian's neck and nibbling at the flesh just over his Adams apple, he put a finger into Brian's mouth. 

Brian's half smile was becoming more a smirk of arousal. When Justin pushed a finger into his mouth he sucked on it, gently, swirling his tongue, and then he felt a second finger enter his mouth, and he still wasn’t sure what Justin was doing, or if Justin even knew what he was doing, but he was enjoying the sensations of the lithe compact body pressing against his. The twinks hot mouth mumbling colors and humming as it worked its way over his shoulders and chest and then back up to his neck and jaw line.   
Brian closed his eyes, losing himself to the feeling for a moment and then it was gone.

When he opened his eyes to see where it had gone he took a quick intake of breath, Justin was still on his knees but had turned around, and began to finger himself, legs spread wide, head down on the mattress, pushing the fingers Brian had just sucked in and out of himself.

All Brian could hear him say between gasps was “do it myself.”  
He lost whatever small amount of restraint he had left. The totally wanton image of Justin, so open and ready shot straight through him. He wanted to plunge into that tight pink hole the way Justin's finger were. He pulled a condom packet open with his teeth and rolled it on, and in one swift movement removed Justin's fingers and pushed himself in groaning as Justin's ass gripped around him.

Justin hissed with pleasure as Brian filled him and he smiled. “I’m too pretty not to fuck.”   
Brian laughed, and agreed as he put his hands on Justin's hips and pulled him back further. Justin slid against the sheets as Brian pounded into him, pulling completely out and then pushing to the hilt again and again while Justin made incoherent sounds and occasionally named colors.

When Brian came, it was hard and long, and he continued to pump into Justin a few more times. 

“Need to come Brian” Justin almost whined, “Need to touch the sky.”  
Brian’s semi hard dick was still in his ass but he ran his palm over Justin's slit, feeling the precum and lubing his palm, the he held it there, against Justin's throbbing cock, knowing the kid was just moments from release. “Come for me sunshine.” he said as Justin began to move against Brian's outstretched palm, rocking himself back and forth, re-awakening Brian's arousal, inside him as he moved slowly, languorously against his hand “so close Brian.”  
“I know, come for me.”  
“So close.”  
Brian felt Justin's movements get faster, more frantic, and he felt himself inside Justin, becoming harder, and when Justin finally came, against his hand, bucking himself against it, his muscles contracted and Brian moaned and came again.

Brian finally pulled out, hearing Justin's small mew of complaint with the loss, tossed the condom and lay on his back. The wanton little blond, a virgin just four days ago, curled his entire body around Brian's.  
“Did you touch the sky Sunshine?”  
He smiled, “Mmmmmm hmmm, and the clouds and the moon, it sings it’s own song”  
Brian laughed, and lit a joint, “Here, it’ll help you come down.”  
Justin inhaled deeply, and Brian handed him a bottle of water from the nightstand, “Now drink this.”  
“You sooo love to take care of me.”  
“I just don’t want you dehydrated and wigging out on me when you crash.”  
“You watched me dance all night loooong because you thought I was gonna let someone else fuck me.”  
Brian didn’t say a word.  
“You care a whole bunch.”  
“You’re tweaked you little twink.”  
“I’m tweaked but you looove to protect me.”  
Brian smiled, he was stoned, and that had to be why he was smiling and amused by this tweaked out little twink in his arms who was currently bogarting his stash. “Hey, share.”  
Justin handed the joint back to Brian, “Tired Bri.”  
“Sleep Sunshine.”  
And he did.

Brian finished the joint, and considered the conversation they’d have to have in the morning, some ground rules. It was a conversation they should have had BEFORE he took him to Babylon but occasionally he forgot what a novice the kid was.

Eventually Brian slept too. He awoke to the feel of hands roaming his body, and smiled, Justin was one of the best alarm clocks ever.

“Whatcha doing?”  
Justin blushed, “I’m um…”  
Brian leaned his head back still groggy, “Didn’t say you should stop.”   
Justin giggled and continued his exploration of Brian's body, hands, lips tongue, fingertips.  
“We need to talk.” Brian said, eyes still closed.  
Justin's heart jumped, his traverse down Brian's ribcage with his fingertips put on hold as he swallowed hard.   
Brian looked up when the sensations stopped and when he met Justin's eyes he saw fear, almost terror.  
“Hey, I said we need to talk, what’s so scary.”  
“I know, it’s time for me to leave.”  
Brian frowned “Who said anything about you leaving?”  
“Well, we’re not working together anymore, and I ruined your fun last night…”  
“When did you ruin my fun?”  
Justin just shook his head, “You know, having to look after me.”  
“Actually that turned out to be kinda fun.”  
Justin smiled a little. “I know you have to go back to work, I mean, Chaz has another script for you to start on, and…”  
Brian cut him off, “You don’t have to leave that’s not what we need to talk about.”  
“Then what?”  
“You could have gotten hurt last night.”  
“Pfft, I was fine.”  
“You were out of your mind.”  
“So this is a don’t do drugs lecture?”  
“No, this is a HOW to do drugs lecture, I shouldn’t have taken you there.”  
“I’m glad you did.”  
“Yeah but you weren’t ready, there are rules, you don’t follow them you’ll end up getting hurt.”  
“I wasn’t gonna get hurt.”  
“You were. Now listen to me.”  
“You want to take E, or a popper or two, Fine, but drink lots of water, don’t mix it with alcohol or anything else and NEVER get it from anyone but me or Emmett.”  
Justin nodded trying to take in the surreal aspects of the conversation; his lover/porn co-star was giving him a stern lecture on the dangers of drugs…from others. But not from him, or Emmett. He shook his head trying to clear it and Brian mistook the action.  
“Don’t shake your head, listen to me, you don’t take shit from strangers and pretty men who tell you it’s ‘really good shit’ because in the end they don’t give a fuck about you. You need someone who’s going to make sure you’re okay.”  
Justin tried to stay serious and nodded.  
“Dance with anyone you want.”  
“You can’t tell me who to dance with.”  
”I just said you can dance with anyone you want, but don’t go to the back room with them, or anyone, you’re not ready.”  
“Fuck you, I’m ready.”  
“You’re not.”  
“What about you?”  
”What about me?”  
“Do you have rules?”  
“Yeah, I don’t take shit from strangers and don’t let you go to the backroom without me.”  
“Brian it’s not like I’m gonna get dragged back there and…”  
“Raped?” Brian looked directly into Justin's eyes this time, “Yeah it might be, little twinks like you are adorable, and most of the guys are safe and harmless and looking for a willing fuck, but there are guys who are less safe, or too stoned to notice that you’re not willing, and then you’re in trouble. I can’t protect you if I don’t know where you are.”  
Justin nodded, “So if I’m going home with a guy tell you first.”  
Justin had no intention of going anywhere with anyone other than Brian, especially the back room, and he knew that Brian was far more protective than he was willing to admit, but he was unprepared for the mans reaction to his last statement.

Brian heard him say it, casually, as if going back with someone else were no big deal, as if every encounter would be like theirs and he had a sudden image of Justin, his face in pain, panic in his eyes, trapped somewhere he didn’t want to be. His reaction was quick and clear.  
“Fuck No. You don’t ever go back to their place, or take off with a stranger, ever.”  
Brian was sitting up now, both his hands had found Justin's and their fingers were interlaced; he pulled Justin close and kissed him, “It’s too dangerous.”  
“Brian, not everyone is out to get me.”  
“Do me a favor?”  
“Mmmmmm?”  
”Pretend they are.”  
Justin had been feeling good and somewhat self-satisfied, Brian obviously cared, deeply, even if he would never admit it out loud, but his last words pissed Justin off.

“Fuck you.” He said, launching himself away from Brian, “I’m not some stupid little faggot who has to live in fear of every big bad man on liberty avenue, I’m not gonna live that way.  
Brian sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as Justin, still naked paced back and forth next to the bed. “You’re right, you shouldn’t have to live in fear.”  
“Then why tell me to be afraid of everyone and everything, is that how you live?”  
“No, and it shouldn’t be how you live either, I said it wrong, what I meant was be careful, and be smart, don’t go home with strangers, don’t take drugs from cute little Twinkies who don’t know good shit from bad, and don’t put yourself in a position where you’re not able to be in control.”  
”You can’t control everything.”  
“No, but you can make sure you’re never in a place where you can’t control anything.”  
“So, drugs from you or Emmett, no trips to the back room without you and don’t go back to his place. Anything else?”  
”Yeah, one thing.”  
Justin looked at him questioningly, as Brian threw back the duvet to reveal his arousal at the mere sight of Justin, naked and pacing in front of him, “Could you do something about this?”  
Justin giggled, and crawled across the bed to do something.


	7. A Shooting Star

Much love to my new beta Jessica, who has made this much easier to read for all of you...ALMOST NO TYPOS!!!

* * *

****

CHAPTER SEVEN

* * *

Brian went by the diner and picked up a couple of breakfast orders to go and was cornered by Debbie. “His mom’s looking for him.”

“Did you tell her you’d seen him?” he asked, giving her a sideways look.

”Not yet, but she’s got a right to know where he is.”

“No, she doesn’t.”

“Brian, she’s his mother, you don’t keep a mother from her son just to get your dick sucked,” reprimanded Debbie, pointing her finger at the taller man.

Brian's jaw clenched. “Leave it Deb, he has his reasons not to go back, and he can if he wants to, I’m not fucking holding him hostage.”

Debbie nodded, “I’ll let it go for now, but his mother has a right to know he’s okay.”

“Goodbye Deb,” he said with a smirk as he dropped cash on the counter and took the food back to the loft.  
* * *  
Justin ate with enthusiasm, “God I love waffles,” he said, barely understandable through the mouthful he was chewing on.

Brian just smiled, watching him plow through waffles, pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage. He looked up swallowing with some difficulty. “I think I’m full.”

Brian feigned shock, “Oh my god, maybe you’re dying.”

“Shut up, I’m still a growing boy.”

There was a knock at the door; it was Paul, Chaz’s personal assistant. “He wanted me to get the script to you ASAP. He said to tell you shooting starts in two days.” Brian took the script and shut the door before Paul could say anything else. Brian emptied the folder; there was a script, the standard contract he needed to sign and a letter sized envelope addressed to Justin. He handed it to him.

“What’s this?” asked the blonde, taking it and flipping it over.

“Probably your paycheck,” Brian replied, somewhat distractedly.

Justin's smile dropped a couple hundred watts. “Yeah, I guess I need to start looking for a place, and a job.”  
Brian tried to pretend he was reading the new script; he knew that’s what the kid should do, knew it’s what made sense. 

Justin's smile disappeared altogether when he saw the check. “Fuck, I fucking hate my mother.”

Brian looked up questioningly.

“I needed the two weeks pay for first last and security on a place,” Justin explained. “Plus I figured Chaz might be able to use me again, for something, but now I’ve got a fucking one week check, and no options.”

“You can stay here as long as you need to,” Brian said offhandedly. He wanted to grab Justin to tell him that he should stay for as long as he wanted, forever. Instead he looked back down at the script in his hand.

“Yeah well, that’s tonight, I don’t need to be here anymore, I have places to go, places I can stay.”

“Where?”

”My friend Daphne’s,” he said, as if it were the simplest thing on Earth.

”You think your mother won’t find you there?”

Justin shrugged. “I’m gonna have to go home eventually, I’m not 18 for another three weeks, so maybe I can put it off another week. Then they’ll only have the legal right to keep me there for two weeks. I can probably put up with my dad for two weeks.”

“Put up with your dad,” Brian said, looking up from the script, his brow creased.

“Yeah, I mean, avoid him, deal with him…”

“Let him beat the shit out of you again.”

Justin lowered his head. “It’s only a couple of weeks, and then I’ll be 18, which means that I’ll be legal for lots of legitimate work.”

“You’re not going back to your dad.”

“Brian, it’s okay, I probably won’t have to, I mean, Daph’s parents will let me stay a little bit longer, plus I mean, I have this check, I can get a hotel room or…”  
“You’re fucking staying here.”

Justin looked at him, “I can’t just stay here with you.”

“Why not?”

Justin had to come up with a reason, because he wanted nothing more than to stay here, but he knew Brian didn’t want him; he was keeping him out of pity. He wasn’t even sure what the man’s motives were, perhaps they were simply to fuck him again. Justin would love that, he admitted to himself, but somehow, staying with Brian just so he could be a convenient fuck felt wrong.

“I’ll be fine, Bri, I’m just gonna have to hang on for a few more weeks.”

“You’re not going back to your dad,” Brian repeated, ignoring all of Justin's inner turmoil, which was displayed clearly on his face. “The fucker hits you, you’re not going back.”

Justin didn’t want to go back, didn’t want to sneak around walking on eggshells, and trying to avoid his father in his own home, and he certainly didn’t want to end up hurt again. He just nodded. “I’ll stay if you want me to.”

“You’re staying.” 

Justin was aware that Brian had never said that he wanted him to.

The rest of the day was spent talking about options, and fucking. The fucking was mind-blowing. The options were pissing Brian off.  
* * *  
Justin was reading the local alternative weekly paper, going over the help wanted ads. “I could make 100 bucks an hour as a cater waiter.” 

“Naked,” Brian said, chuckling. “A Naked cater waiter.”

“Yeah, but so what?”

“It’s a bad idea.”

Justin circled the ad and moved on, “There’s a local porn site looking for twinks to feature.”

Brian rolled his eyes. “Can’t you just get a job as a waiter or at the gap like a normal teenager?”

”Um Brian?”

“Yes?”

“Do you remember that we met on the sound stage of an adult film where you then fucked me for the first time ever in front of like 20 other people, and a camera?”

“Your point?”

“Jerking off on a web page is no different, and it pays way better than the Gap.”

“Fine, go be a twink on a website,” Brian retorted, rolling his eyes. “I have to be on the set tomorrow anyway.”

“Can we go dancing tonight?” asked Justin as he moved a little bit closer to where Brian was still standing, looking over the new script.

”You want to go back to Babylon?”

”Unless you want to take me to Meat Hook.” Justin’s eyes were dancing with mischief as he said it, Brian could barely watch him dance with other guys at Babylon, he’d probably never let Justin out of arms reach at Meat Hook.

Brian let his expression stay blank, “Let’s just go with Babylon for now.”

Justin nodded; it was still early, only five. “Fuck, I have to go out.”

“Where are you going?”

”I have exactly two pairs of jeans and one t-shirt here if you haven’t noticed. I need a few things if I’m going to stay.”

Brian sighed. “I’ll go with you. You need someone with fashion sense and make you look decent.”

“My clothes are decent I just need more of them,” Justin pouted as he looked down at himself.

“Whatever, c’mon.”

And the two of them drove, far from Liberty Avenue; far from the suburban area where Justin lived to the other side of the city, and a large upscale shopping complex full of stores Justin had never heard of. 

”Why here?”

“Your mom won’t check here, and it’s not the fucking Gap or Old Navy”

Justin looked down at his shirt, which did in fact say Old Navy on it. “They have some decent stuff there.”

“Yeah well they’ll have some decent stuff here too.”  
* * *  
It was several hours later when they finally emerged and returned their packages to the Jeep. 

“Brian you didn’t have to buy me this stuff.”

“I wanted to, can’t go out with you looking like a refugee from the Gap window.”

“Would you shut the fuck up about the Gap?”

Brian nodded. “You look really hot in that,” he said, pulling Justin and his new leather jacket towards him. 

“It feels really good on too,” agreed Justin, grinning as he was pulled closer and closer to Brian.

“It should, it was practically made for you.”

“Some things just fit right,” Justin said, as he pushed his body against Brian's to emphasize his point.

Brian drove them home in record speed and it was luck as much as anything else that they got home safely as Justin’s hand was clasped to Brian's thigh making light stroking movements through the entire drive that made most of the blood leave Brian's brain.

“Christ you take longer to get ready than I do.”

Justin emerged from the bedroom and Brian considered ditching the entire plan to go out for the evening to stay in with the blonde. He was wearing a pair of baby blue leather pants that matched his eyes, but what mattered more was that they molded to his body and showed off his considerable attributes. Paired with a shirt of the exact hue, which clung to his body in all the right places, his nipples visible through the almost sheer material…he was a vision.

Brian shook his head and pretended not to be affected by the outfit, or the blond who was sporting it somewhat self-consciously. “Is this okay?”

“We bought it for going out, and we’re going out.” 

Justin nodded; tugging at the shirt, which only grazed the waist of the pants, meaning that each time he moved a tantalizing expanse of pale skin was exposed. Brian sighed as he watched him move towards the door. He wasn’t going to be able to let the kid out of his sight this evening.

They went in the back way again, although the way Justin looked, it was pointless, heads turned, eyes scanned, and mouths watered, it was a grand entrance no matter what door they used.

They made an amazing pair, Brian in all black, Justin in baby blue, tall and dark against pale and blonde. Together they were sex on four legs, and once in the club Justin felt surer of himself. He felt eyes on him, and after a few minutes and a couple of shots of Beam he also relished the feel of men’s hands grazing his ass, or his back as they walked by.

Brian pulled Justin closer. He saw the admiration in the eyes of the crowd, and felt their appreciation as they brushed past him.

It wasn’t that Brian didn’t have admirers of his own, but he knew how to handle them, and wasn’t particularly in the mood to handle any of them at the moment, but the constant parade of men who started to approach and then backed off when Brian glared at them over Justin’s head was something else.

They took their beers and Justin followed Brian as he joined a small group of men at the bar.

“Mikey, what are you doing here?” Brian asked.

”Why wouldn’t I be here?”

Brian shrugged, “You haven’t been around much.”

“Actually, I’ve been here it’s you who’s been missing in action.” Michael glanced over at the twink standing next to his best friend. “Is this the action?”

Brian smiled. “This is my co-star, Justin.”

“Ex, co star” Justin corrected.

Emmett raised his eyebrows and Ted started to say something but didn’t have a chance as Brian cut him off. “Whatever you’re going to say just shut up.”

Ted closed his mouth, used to Brian's rudeness, and simply smiled, taking another drink and scanning the room.

“Looking for your next rejection?” Brian asked. Ted sneered and before anything else was said. 

Michael pulled Brian onto the dance floor.

Justin turned to watch as Emmett wrapped his arms around Justin. “They’re just old friends, nothing to worry about.”

“I’m not worried.” Justin said, “You have any more E?”

”Even if I did, I value my life too much to give it to you.”

“Brian,” Justin said, with a half smile. “He’s way too protective.”

“He’s just looking out for you sweetie.”

Justin couldn’t stand still any longer; he turned around, and pulled Emmett onto the dance floor with him.

Between the Beam, the beer, and the poppers that Emmett did have, Justin was flying. Again he felt as if the whole world could be his as he danced.

He knew men were watching him, wanting him, and it made him feel good, powerful, special. He also knew that Brian had barely taken his eyes off of him all night, which made him feel better, protected, and wanted. 

Brian and Michael danced a few songs together; their easy rhythm after years of practice made Michael one of Brian's best dance partners, making him look far better than he was. Eventually a hot blonde with an amazing ass and a perfect face intercepted Michael, and the two of them danced a few songs before Brian saw them leave together. He smiled; Michael needed to get laid more.

He ordered another shot and a beer and watched as Justin danced awhile before coming back to the bar for a beer himself. They were talking about options when one of the go-go boys asked for assistance getting down. Justin's eyes bugged out when he saw how much money was tucked into the guy’s skimpy costume.

They chatted for a bit and Brian bit his tongue as Justin was led up to the boss’s office to talk to him about a job.

Justin came back down, smiling broadly. “I got a job.”

“Doing the books?”

He smacked Brian teasingly, “Dancing, Gary says I can make a couple thousand a week, which is more than Chaz was paying me.”

Brian nodded, “We’ll find a better option.”

“This is a great option, better than being a twink dot com, and I get to dance.”

Brian said nothing, downing the last of his beer and ordering another shot. The reality of the situation was starting to hit, the kid could go back to his dad. Not. An. Option. The kid could work for a sleazy website, or he could dance in a cage. He sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. There had to be an alternative.  
* * *  
When he finally got the squirming drunk boy home he was a giggling mess.

“Christ, did Emmett give you more E?”

”Nope, I’m just high on life, oh and beer, I like beer.” Justin giggled again and covered his mouth sloppily to quiet himself.

Brian nodded and grimaced. “I can tell.”

Justin began removing Brian's shirt, something he’d been trying to do all night. While at the club Brian had been able to keep his hands at bay but now in the loft, the blonde’s nimble fingers seemed to sear each new piece of skin they revealed, and Brian gave in to the pleasure of Justin's hands, and mouth.

He walked him backwards towards the bed, and Justin was leaning in and kissing his nipples, nibbling at them, and then taking long leisurely licks. “You know there’s still a lot you haven’t taught me.”

Brian raised an eyebrow. “Like what?”

He helped pull Justin's shirt over his head, and Justin was wriggling out of the pale blue leather; he’d been wearing no underwear and his arousal was obvious.

“Oh lots of stuff,” Justin said, dropping his head and blushing a little.

“Such as…?” Brian asked, letting his voice trail off, highly amused that the kid wanted something he couldn’t even put into words.

Justin leaned forward standing on his tiptoes so that their mouths met, and his arms snaked around Brian's neck. “Toys,” Justin whispered hotly into his ear.

Brian laughed, and kissed him back. “You want to play?”

Justin's eyes were wide, and his blush was bright but as he nodded, Brian could see that his breathing was shallow and his lips red with passion.

“You um… have some, and I thought…” he trailed off. 

“What did you think?”

”You could teach me.” Justin said, his drunken state making this a little bit easier.

Brian laughed again, “If you really want to learn, I suppose I could take the time to teach you.”

Justin's smile was wide, and his body trembling as he moved closer to Brian. “Teach me.”

Brian pushed Justin back against the bed where he fell, his arms out to the sides. “Don’t move.”  
Justin lay perfectly still, resisting the temptation to touch himself. Each moment was tortuous as he heard Brian moving about.

Brian started with something simple.

He wrapped velvet lined restraints on the boy’s wrists, the Velcro closures holding him firmly but not harshly, and tied his arms above him on a hook sunk deep into the wall for just such purposes.

He leaned in to kiss Justin, the pale skin against the black restraints making him look even more fragile. He ran his hands along his body, “Remember, I’m the teacher, I’m in control.” Justin nodded, his body arching towards Brian's hands.

“I could blindfold you,” he whispered into Justin's ear, “but I want you to watch.” Justin whimpered as Brian lightly ran a hand along Justin's aching hard on and then removed himself from the bed again, reaching down into a box next to the bed he pulled out a dildo, it was black, and large, bigger than anything Justin could imagine inside him, his eyes widened with fear.

“You don’t think you can take it?”

Justin shook his head, and Brian kissed him again, “I’ll bet you could.” 

Justin shook his head more adamantly and Brian smiled again. “Good boy, know when to say no, that’s a gag prop, not meant for use.” Justin visibly relaxed, and Brian smiled at him again.

He flipped Justin over quickly, tightening the binds on his wrists just a bit so that the blonde crawled a little closer to the wall in order to release the pull on his arms.

Brian put a pillow under Justin's hips raising his ass.

Then he pulled out a small plug, three inches round, but longer than most, almost six inches long. He pushed it into Justin's mouth. Justin closed his eyes running his lips along the smooth surface. 

“Lube it well,” Brian said and Justin realized what Brian had in mind. He did his best to coat the entire length with his own saliva, and when Brian thought he was ready he pushed the object slowly at the pink puckered hole while Justin gasped.

He pushed it inch by inch into Justin, watching the pale body swallow the black plastic plug, until it was fit snuggly into him, the ring of muscles holding it in place. He wiggled it a little to make sure it made small contact with his prostate and when Justin moaned and trembled he knew it was right where it should be.

He kissed him between his shoulder blades, working his mouth down his back until he laid a single kiss onto each round cheek of Justin’s ass.

Then he reached back down and pulled out a paddle, wide and wooden on one side, soft leather on the other. He ran it down Justin's back, and the boy tried to look over his shoulder to see what Brian was doing, but he couldn’t turn his head that far. 

Brian moved the soft leather over the globes of his ass, and watched them quiver, and he pulled his arm back and let the paddle fall hard, watching the boy’s body buck as he jerked forward, his ass immediately turning an inviting shade of red. The paddle pushed the plug and Justin’s body felt like it was going to explode.

He rubbed it slowly with his hands whispering in Justin's ear, “Did you like that?”

Justin nodded, unable to explain it, sure he should have hated it, but then he felt it again, and again. Brian expertly flipped the paddle, sometimes hitting him with the soft leather, sometimes with the hard wood which stung more. But each time, it pushed the black plug against the sensitive bundle of nerves and made him cry out.

The sounds Justin was making weren’t intelligible, they were guttural and determining between pain and pleasure was no longer possible.

Justin pushed his head down to raise his ass higher. At first, each smack had hurt, each time the harder side came down he had yelped but now there was nothing but a shooting feeling of electricity as each stroke came down, he was rubbing his body against the pillow needing the friction but not able to satisfy his need completely, his back arched as Brian rained down blows upon him, and then, as quickly as it started it stopped.

Brian's hands were on his ass now, rubbing it gently, pulling out the plug and Justin made a soft mewling sound at the loss. He felt empty and Brian understood. He untied Justin's wrists and pulled the boy to him.

Justin straddled him, his face a little tear stained, his ass bright red and burning, and as Brian slid a condom on Justin impaled himself onto the older man. Brian's hands were massaging his burning ass cheeks as Justin put his feet flat against the frame of the bed and used all of his strength to raise and lower himself on Brian's shaft, his arms around Brian's neck. “Please touch me.” He moaned as he continued to fuck himself on Brian's lap. Brian obliged, amused and turned on by the desperate need in those blue eyes.

He stroked Justin, using his thumb and fingers and Justin's own precum to slide his hand up and down in rhythm with the boy’s movements until Justin threw his head back and shot. Brian leaned in, kissing his throat, his neck, his chest, whatever was available, thrusting his body into him more, watching as the aftershocks of his orgasm vibrated through the lithe little body. The ripple and tightness on Brian's dick was enough and sent him reeling with his own orgasm, hard and fast.

Finally Justin fell onto his back, legs still wrapped around Brian's waist, arms out at his sides, completely spent, sweaty, and smiling.

“I like toys.”

Brian laughed out loud and extricated himself from the boys legs, tossing out the condom and putting his own head near Justin's at the top of the bed. 

Justin lay with his head on Brian's shoulder. “Can we do that again sometime?”

“Sure, all you have to do is ask.” Justin smiled and was asleep within minutes.

Brian knew he had things to consider, his own actions for one, his feelings for the boy another, but as he tried to puzzle it out, his body slipped into sleep. He’d worry about it tomorrow.


	8. A Shooting Star

* * *

****

Chapter 8

* * *

Neither of them woke up 'til mid afternoon. Brian had another day 'til he was expected back on the set, and Justin was supposed to be at the club at eight to finish paperwork and dance 9-3 he was excited, Brian less so.

“Shouldn’t you be in school?”  
Justin shrugged.   
“Did you finish school?”  
“Kinda”  
“How does one Kind of finish school?”  
“Well, I decided I was finished going.”  
”So you just stopped, going.”  
Justin shrugged again, “what’s the point?”

He shook his head, it really was a no win situation. The kid couldn’t go back home, he couldn’t work for Chaz, school wasn’t really an option, at least not until he was 18, three weeks. 

Justin’s first night at Babylon went as well as could be expected. His costume was skimpy and simple, a tight pair of shorts, mostly spandex, leaving little if anything to the imagination. He was dancing, losing himself in the rhythm of the beat. Enjoying the feel of warm hands grazing down his body as they deposited money into his waistband. He was aware of Brian watching, and for the most part was moving just for the man but sometimes he simply closed his eyes, threw his head back and let himself forget that this was for the money, that none of the hands that were touching him cared about anything but his soft skin, his blonde hair, his hot ass, and his cock. He teased them and taunted them, allowing hands to roam, but only briefly lower than his waistband.

Brian watched, teeth clenched, until he couldn’t take it anymore, he found a willing partner and took him to the back room, pushing the man roughly against a wall and entering him so quickly the guy grunted in pain. Brian waited, allowing the trick to adjust to being filled by him and then began to fuck in earnest, paying attention to the responses of the guys body, to the feel of the hard chest and washboard stomach as his hands pushed up the tricks shirt, pinching and teasing his nipples, until he finally took pity on the moaning mass of flesh before him and stroked this little willing partner in time to his own thrusts until he came. Brian followed soon after, and returned from the back room feeling somewhat relieved of the tension.

Justin watched Brian take the man into the back room, and watched him emerge, shutting his eyes to the pain and taking extra effort to entice the hundreds of men who wanted him instead of the one man who didn’t mind fucking him sometimes. He knew Brian fucked for a living, and fucked for fun, and now he got to be there, with front row seats. 

When he yawned, Gary, or “Sap” as Brian called him pulled him aside, handing him a glass of water.   
“You need a little something to get you through?”  
Justin shook his head, “I’m fine, and just need a couple minutes more and I’ll be back on the floor.”  
Gary nodded. “Finish your water, you don’t want to get dehydrated.”

Justin flashed back to a hazy memory of Brian, saying the same thing. He moved purposefully back to his spot off of the main catwalk, and continued his job.

He saw Brian go twice more to the back room, but minded less this time. The music was really carrying him and the lights were brighter than usual, there were several in blue directly overhead, making Justin think of other blue lights, ones that cast the bedroom in a glow of passion and calm, and sexy heat. These were just throwing heat, and he began to dance with abandon, sweat dripping down his skin, his head fuzzy and floating.

Brian had seen Sap pull Justin aside, seen him take care of the kid and seen Justin respond with a smile and then begin to dance again. It was almost two when Brian left, not wanting to seem like some kind of groupie boyfriend, he knew Justin was coming back to the loft, and from the smile on his face he seemed to be enjoying his new employ.

Justin felt as much as saw Brian leave and felt like he should be relieved that he seemed to be heading home alone. He was angry, but he also tried to convince himself that he understood. They were not lovers, or married, they’d known each other for less than a week, he had no right to ask Brian to change his life, and he knew the man was going back to the set tomorrow, to fuck numerous nameless faceless men, jealousy was a ridiculous emotion for their situation.

When the night was finally over he counted the money he’d been given and was disappointed to find it was not as much as he’d been promised, 90 or so dollars. 

“So what did you think of your first night?”  
Justin's head was feeling cloudy; he was tired, he guessed. Gary gave him another glass of water with both a lemon and lime floating at the top, which is, Justin imagined, why it tasted bitter rather than refreshing.

“It was fine, but the tips aren’t what you’d said they’d be.”  
“Well for the real money you need to dance closer to the action, on the bar, or one of the light stages.”  
“So let me do that.” Justin's head was spinning again, and his body was swaying to a beat that at this point only he could hear.  
“In a few months, you’ll be able to work your way up.”  
“Fuck Sa..I mean Gary, I don’t have a few months.”  
“Well, maybe we can work something out.”  
Gary was a stocky man with long hair that always looked like it needed a good shampoo and his voice was odd, raspy, and Justin was finding it incredibly erotic.

“What can we work out?”  
Gary moved forward, his hands caressing the boys smooth young chest, tweaking at the nipples, and then running his fingers demandingly down his torso until they rubbed against Justin’s cock, still clad in the spandex costume. “Well, I’ve got a couple of VIP’s visiting, I’m sure if you give them some time, they’d be…Grateful.”  
Justin shook his head, backing away. Gary grinned lasciviously at Justin's arousal from his earlier handiwork. “You sure, I’d only need you for about an hour, and there’s good money to be made.” He leaned in further, licking and suckling one of Justin’s nipples, feeling the boy respond. He was pleased that the kid was so easily susceptible to GHB, his body so willing and ready once he was dosed.

Justin allowed himself to be pulled towards a curtained off area above the catwalk, and was greeted by two men, neither ugly, nor particularly attractive, both a little old for his tastes. “Take care of them,” Gary said, pushing Justin further into the lounge area, laid out with several velvet couches and a well-stocked table full of drugs and liquor. 

Justin wanted to run, but one of the men pulled him forward further, pouring him a drink. Justin drank it greedily, his mouth was dry, he was scared. He looked around for room to dance, and started to sway to the soft beat that was thumping into a separate sound system. 

The men watched as the boy threw his head back, swaying to the beat, rocking his hips. His hard cock visible through the spandex. The taller of the two men, with gray hair at the temples, wearing a business suit pulled him by the waistband closer to him and then the other guy, shorter, darker, wearing jeans and a button down shirt, untucked, was behind him.

Their hands were everywhere as Justin danced for them, and with them. He closed his eyes to the images of Brian pulling a guy into the backroom. The flash of a smirk he’d seemed to direct at Justin as he emerged. He felt himself being pushed, and found himself on his knees, the gray templed man’s pants undone, his cock pushing against Justin's mouth.

Justin smelled him, and wrinkled his nose, trying to back away, but the man behind him had a hand on either side of his hips, and the cock at his mouth was being brushed against his face, and then pushed more persistently at his lips. “Open up little boy” he heard and as a hand ran down his back, he did just that, welcoming the hard prick into his mouth. Using everything Brian had taught him to suckle and tease and please the man before him. He looked up and saw the grin of satisfaction on the mans face, and then felt his shorts being removed. They were pulled down to his knees, and could go no further as he was now on his hands and knees, allowing the sensations of the hot hard member in his mouth to let him forget about who Brian might have done this with tonight, and how many times.

The man in back inserted a lubed finger into his ass, and Justin shuddered, moaning around the dick in his mouth and pushing himself back against the intrusion.

“The kid is made for this.” The shorter man said, continuing to watch in fascination as Justin fucked himself on one then two fingers. Soon he felt the head of a hard shaft pressing against him and he groaned again, wanting to be filled, wanting to feel Brian inside him, knowing he wouldn’t tonight. Brian was home, asleep, fucked out, sated. And he was working.

He pushed himself back and felt the man push inside. He was stretched. The cock wasn’t as long as Brian's, but it was thick and the pinch and burn of entry made Justin whimper a little. The guy gave Justin no time to adjust; he began pounding into him in earnest. Fucking him hard, and Justin concentrated on pleasing milking the man in his mouth to orgasm while he fucked back against the painful thrusting in his ass.

Soon he was rewarded with ropey come, but not down his throat, the man pulled out, rubbing his hard and ready member against Justin's face and hair for a few seconds, and then came, Justin opened his mouth, throwing his head back, trying to catch the reward as it splattered hot and sticky against his face. And as he moved he felt the man behind him start to quicken his pace. Justin on his knees now, back against the chest of the hairy man inside him ran his hand to his own ignored erection, moving his hand up and down in quick strokes, wanting to come, needing the release. His head spun, his body ached for it and as he came he clamped down on the thick shaft invading him, pulling the man to orgasm as his body convulsed in pleasure.

The man he’d blown ran a finger down Justin's chest, scooping a good amount of Justin's come off of it, and then flicked a finger across Justin's check mixing their seed together. He offered the finger to Justin who sucked it greedily. And when the two were done they walked away, clothing rearranged. 

It was then that Justin noticed Sap, sitting in a chair, his dick in his hand, obviously having enjoyed the show, his own come on his hand and shirt. The men dropped something into Gary’s lap and walked away. Justin stayed down, his spandex shorts still at his knees. He pulled them up quickly, suddenly becoming aware of who he was and what he’d done. Sap pressed several crisp bills into his hand, kissing Justin's cheek.

“You did great kid, you’re gonna be fine. See you tomorrow at nine; you can dance on the bar.

Justin, unbidden tears mixing with the mans come still on his face numbly went back down the stairs to the changing area, pulled on his street clothes and walked out of the building. He couldn’t go back to the loft, back to Brian, after what he’d done. He felt horrible, dirty, ashamed.

He sat against the wall pulling his knees to him trying to make himself as small as he felt and cried.

It was after four when Brian realized that Justin still wasn’t back. Babylon let the dancers go at two, three on the weekends, by that point the crowd was so frenzied by their own sexual energy, or so drunk they didn’t need the stimulus anymore.

He was suddenly concerned, but he pushed it back down. The kid was doing fine, could handle himself, had probably found a hot guy with a good offer to take him home for the night. He had no reason to worry. 

He told himself all of this as he drove back to Babylon. He found him there, curled up against himself, asleep, his forehead laying on his knees, his arms wrapped around his legs. 

“Justin.”  
Justin didn’t respond.  
“Justin!” louder this time. Justin looked up, his head pounding, groggy, thirsty, tired. “Brian?”  
”What are you doing here?”  
“Tired.”  
Brian nodded, seeing the tearstains on his face, in the dark of the evening in the shadow of the building, he could still see the confusion and exhaustion in those dangerous blue eyes.   
“C’mon home.”  
“Don’t have one.”  
”Sure you do, come on back to the loft.”  
Justin just shook his head, “can’t.”  
“Sure you can.”  
“You don’t want me there.”  
“Sure I do.”  
“You don’t want me.”  
Brian used his finger to lift Justin's chin so they were looking into each other’s eyes. “Yes I do.”  
Justin shook his head again. “Staying here.” He dropped his head back onto his knees.

Brian decided arguing was pointless now. So he walked away, got back in the jeep and then stopped. “Fuck.”  
He picked the kid up, and put him in the jeep, he was too tired to resist. 

When Justin was back in the loft he was still relatively uncommunicative although he was now crying silently again. Brian needed to find out what was wrong, he wasn’t sure whom to kill, and he needed to know.

“Thirsty.”  
Brian handed him a bottle of water from the fridge and he drank most of it with a single pull. When he stopped he was breathing heavily from the long drink. Brian watched his chest heave and wondered why that was so fucking sexy.  
“Better?”  
“Mmmmmm, Tired.”  
Brian nodded and led him to bed, pulling off his clothes, and seeing the dried come crusted on his chest, and in the light for the first time seeing it also on his face. “Fucking bastard.” He thought to himself, not sure whom he was cursing.

Once Justin was naked he fell asleep instantly, and Brian covered him carefully, watching him nestle into the pillows. Then he went and poured himself a drink, pretty sure of what had happened but wanting to confirm it before he committed homicide. It was over an hour later when he climbed into bed himself, and pulled Justin to him. The kid was soundlessly crying in his sleep and his chest tightened with an emotion he couldn’t categorize.

He held him, close and safe all night. The next thing he was aware of was the beeping of his alarm several hours later.

He shut the alarm and picked up his phone, calling Chaz. “Shoot around me today, I’ll be there tomorrow.” He hung up, not feeling like having the argument he knew Chaz was about to put up.

Justin moved a little closer to him in his sleep and Brian took the opportunity in the light of day to examine the boy a little more closely. He didn’t see any bruising, any obvious signs of force. He was still pretty sure from Justin's reaction the night before that he hadn’t willingly gone to the back room with someone, or to the alley. His grip on the blonde tightened and Justin moaned as he woke up.

Justin was aware of a pressing heat against his back; a vice like grip around his waist and a pounding in his head that felt as if something were trying to hammer it’s way out. He moaned. Then coming to a little more, struggled against the restraints on his body.

Brian felt him wake and then struggle, he wanted to pull him closer, promise him safety but the movements were frantic now and released him, watching as Justin pulled away to the other side of the bed, his breathing shallow and rapid, his eyes wide.

“B Brian?”  
“Brian smiled calmly at him, yeah, who were you expecting?”  
Justin shrugged, “I don’t know.”  
He gripped his head, “It hurts.”  
Brian nodded, getting a glass of juice and a few aspirin. Doesn’t surprise me. You were pretty out of it last night.”  
“But I didn’t even drink.”  
Brian raised his eyebrows, “not even a beer?”  
”Well, okay, I had one beer, but nothing to”, Justin's winced as he moved his head to swallow the pills, “cause something like this.”  
”Did you take anything?”  
”You told me not to, unless it was from you or Emmett.”  
Brian nodded, glad the kid had listened.  
“All I drank was water, with lime. I don’t like limes.”  
Brian suddenly flashed back to Gary, giving Justin glasses of water, with lime in them, not bottled water. Things became more clear. “Limes are bitter?”  
Justin nodded.

The question now was how much did Justin remember and how much should Brian tell him.

“C’mon, why don’t we take a shower, it’ll help your head.”  
Justin nodded and moved slowly, shedding his underwear, a flash of the previous evening coming back to him. His eyes widened, and then his head lowered. “You go ahead and shower, I’ll make breakfast.”  
Brian watched as the expressions shot across Justin's face. He knew the kid was remembering, if not all of it, then at least something of what happened the previous night. He felt the murderous rage boil again inside him when he saw the heartbreak and pain in Justin's eyes, but he pushed it aside and instead pulled Justin towards him. “We’ll worry about breakfast once you’ve showered.”

Brian was gentle, his ministrations designed to bring comfort not passion. He was painfully relieved to see that if anyone had fucked the kid last night, at least they had used a condom. He continued his passage down Justin's torso and waist, saying nothing as he cleaned the deposits others had made off of the perfect pale skin. He noticed small bruises finger shaped at his hips and felt the anger build again, but then pushed it back, could he even be sure he hadn’t made those marks?

Justin felt Brian's hands and his eyes. He closed his own, throwing his head back and allowing himself to be pampered. He whimpered a few times as memories of the previous night came flashing back but he reminded himself that he was being silly, that this is what he did for a living now, enticing men, pleasing men, and to get upset about it was juvenile and pointless. 

When they were done showering Brian wrapped a towel around himself and carefully dried Justin's skin and hair. He kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll go make some coffee.” Justin nodded and pulled out a pair of jeans and shirt, he was pulling the jeans on when he remembered Gary tossing him cash last night, he had been too upset to even count it, simply shoving it in his pocket. He retrieved his jeans from last night and searched the pockets, relieved to find the bills still there.

Brian walked back to the bedroom, still with a towel around his waist, and saw the kid counting the stack of bills in his hand.

“All that just from dancing?”  
Justin looked up and shrugged, trying to put last night behind him. “I did a private party after hours, so I made a little more.”  
Justin was amazed $500.00 just for letting some guy fuck him.  
Brian looked at the money, “All that from dancing huh?”  
”Well” Justin looked down at the floor, “I guess there was a little more than dancing going on.”  
Brian remained calm. “How many?”  
Justin looked up, “Two, it’s no big deal.”  
Brian wanted to scream, this is what he had warned the kid about, been afraid of, been watching for, and then he left and it had happened anyway, and he wasn’t sure which was worse, that it happened, or that the kid didn’t seem to think it was anything to worry about.   
“You were crying last night.” He said quietly.  
“Yeah, I guess everyone gets shook up their first time.”  
“Especially if they’re drugged and not aware of what they’re doing.”  
Justin's head shot up his eyes wide and disbelieving. “I didn’t take anything last night.”  
“Not that you know of.”  
“Brian, I am not some dumb ass kid. I’d know if someone tried to slip me something.”  
”Even if it was Sap?”  
”Why would Gary do that?”  
Brian snorted and humorless laugh, “Why do you think sunshine?”  
Justin sat down on the bed, head in hands, “Brian, it wasn’t that big a deal, no more than what you and I have done together, or what you did last night in the back room.” hell, no more than what I did on set for Chaz. “You can’t get protective every time I fuck someone.”  
Brian knew the basic factual truth of everything Justin had just said, but he was still fighting an urge to kill Sap and still pretty sure that Justin wouldn’t have gone to the private party if he hadn’t been drugged.  
“Justin, it’s not safe.”  
Justin shrugged again, “nothings safe Brian, but I didn’t get hurt, and a couple more nights like that and I can get out of your hair.”

Brian nodded, pretending that made sense, pretending that was fine, maybe even what he wanted. 

He poured them both coffee and they drank it silently, each lost in their own thoughts.

Justin was trying to process what Brian had said. Had Sap really drugged him? He somehow knew that had to be the case. He could only remember bits and pieces of the previous evening, he remembered a couple of guys, he remembered feeling hot and sexy, and he remembered the money. Everything else seemed a little blank.

Brian watched the emotions flicker across Justin's face as he sipped his coffee. There was confusion and pain, but also something else, something he couldn’t quite put a name to.

“Don’t you have to be at the studio?” Justin asked, just to break the silence.  
“Told Chaz to shoot around me today.”  
“On the first day of shooting?”  
”Yeah, I wanted to make sure you’re okay.”  
”Brian, I’m fine, how many times do I have to tell you I’m fine.”  
Brian nodded, “okay.”  
“So go to the studio, do your job, I’ll be okay here.”  
“I’m off today.”  
“I have to work tonight, I’m just going back to sleep anyway.”  
“You’re going back?”  
”Why wouldn’t I?” Justin looked confused.  
“Didn’t think you’d actually planned on becoming a hustler.”  
Justin slapped him across the face. “Fuck you, I’m earning a living.”  
Brian was angry, and shocked, and pissed off, and confused. He’d never cared what anyone had done before, well, except maybe for Mikey, but even Michael could pretty much fuck whomever he wanted without Brian giving it a second thought, this was different, and he was lost in feelings he didn’t know were possible. He pushed himself back from the table, realizing that he had to get out, now, before he fell too deep, before he cared too much for this little twink who was set on throwing his life away. Why did he even try, why did he even give a shit.

Brian stood up from the table, and pulled on some clothes. “I’ll be at work.” And left for the studio.

Justin curled back into the bed, crying again. He didn’t want to. He didn’t want to cry, or to fuck men for money, he wanted to be with Brian but he couldn’t, Brian didn’t want him, and now he’d blown it, blown it completely. He cried until he fell back asleep, with fitful dreams. When he woke up it was almost dark out. He glanced at the clock. Almost six. He pulled his jeans back on and a jacket and grabbed some of his money. He’d go to the diner, get some dinner, and then maybe check out Liberty Avenue on his own before work.

He walked the seven blocks to the diner and was pulling into a booth when he saw the blonde head turn. “Justin?”  
”Mom?”  
He felt his voice tremble, and suddenly he was eight years old again, and just wanted to go home. Go home to mommy, and his life and being a kid again.

Jennifer pulled him to her, holding his head as she felt him cry. “Come on home honey.”  
Deb was smiling ear-to-ear, happy to see the reunion.

Justin was too confused, too tired, and too heartbroken over Brian to say anything; he climbed into his mom’s car and let her drive him home.


	9. A Shooting Star

* * *

****

Chapter 9

* * *

Brian was trying to keep his focus but his mind kept drifting back to the loft, to the blonde in his loft. He shook his head to clear it and put on his professional demeanor. Things went back to normal on the set and Chaz let out a long breath of relief. It had been a rough week, and for a few desperate days he thought he might have lost his most profitable leading man.

The producer knew he was being ridiculous, Brian didn’t give a fuck, he’d proven that time and again, sure things had been different with the kid, but it was a couple of days, a couple of nights. Brian was obviously back, and things could return to normal.

~*~*~*~*~

Justin was silent on the ride home. Jennifer wanted to ask him a million questions, where had he been what had he done, how had he gotten by, but she was too happy to have him back, and too scared that he’d run again to say anything yet.

Justin watched blankly as the city disappeared and the roads and houses became more familiar. He was going home. He could put the last week behind him. He briefly thought about what he had left back in Pittsburgh, Brian, the loft, the new clothes, his money… but that was gone now, lost to him, through his own actions. He’d go home, he’d be the son his parents wanted, he wasn’t cut out for living on the street, or fucking for money, he thought he could do it, but he couldn’t. He thought he had loved Brian, but that was probably drugs, and sex, and stupid teenage hormones. How could he love someone who didn’t even like him? 

He was jerked out of his thoughts when the car pulled into the driveway. He walked, still in a daze into the house, surprised to find it exactly as he’d left it a little less than a month ago. He didn’t know what he’d expected but it was a strange feeling to be back. He wiped his sweating palms on his jeans and gazed around as if he’d never seen his own home before.

“Are you hungry sweetie?”  
Justin nodded and Jennifer smiled, “I’ll make you something.”   
Justin followed her into the kitchen and watched the familiar sight of his mother, boiling pasta, heating up sauce, putting garlic bread into the oven.

When everything was on the table she called for Molly and Justin started again, it all seemed so fucking normal. Well, it seemed normal until Molly came barreling down the stairs and when she saw Justin she launched herself into his arms. 

“Justin!”

”Hey Molly.”

“Where were you?”

”At Daph’s.”

”But why didn’t you come home?”

”I was busy.”

Molly shrugged “I missed you.”

“You probably already took all the cool stuff out of my room.”

Molly gave him a sly smile, not ALL of it. Justin ran a hand through her hair playfully and they sat down to dinner.

“Where’s dad?”

Justin froze again, in all his desperation to get out of the city he’d forgotten about dealing with his father, about the angry words, and the angrier fists.

“He’s away for the night on business, he’ll be back tomorrow.”  
Justin nodded, still not speaking, and dug into the plate in front of him, hungrier than he’d thought. Sap was going to be mad that he wasn’t there tonight but he shook his head, trying to shake the thought completely, he didn’t work there anymore.

“Molly, do you have homework?” Jennifer asked

Molly shrugged, which they all knew meant yes. 

“Why don’t you go upstairs and finish it, call me if you need help.” 

Molly went back upstairs but not to her room, she sat at the top of the steps listening, she wanted to know where her brother had really been.

Jennifer was clearing the table as she talked, hoping that keeping it casual would get Justin to open up.

“It really is great to have you back sweetie. So where did you stay?”

Justin shrugged, “With a friend in the city.”

“Do I know them?”

”No mom you don’t”

“I picked up your assignments, you’re a little behind but there’s time for you to make up most of the work, you can probably even graduate on time.”

“I don’t want to go back to school.”

“Justin.”

“Mom, I really don’t…”

“Justin, it’s not an option, you have to finish school, you’ve already sent in your college applications.”

“But that was before.”

“Honey nothing has changed.”

”Does dad think that?”

“Your father was worried about you.”

Justin snorted.

“He was, he was beside himself when you disappeared, we looked everywhere, but you just vanished, I was scared, your father was scared, we…”

“Yeah well I’m back now, can we not talk about it?”

“Okay, if you don’t want to talk we won’t now, but eventually Justin…”

Justin got up and walked away, he was tired, “I’m going to my room.” 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Brian got home a little after nine, and the loft was empty, he assumed Justin was at Babylon, working. He would not, he told himself, as he changed into suitable club clothes, go to check on him.

He continued to tell himself this as he drove to the club. He reminded himself that he often went to Babylon after work and Justin’s employment there was not going to change that. He was not looking for the kid as his eyes scanned the room. He was not concerned when he couldn’t find him. He was not going to ask anyone if they’d seen him.

“Hey Brian, where’s that beautiful co-star slash go-go boy of yours?”

Brian shrugged, “Thought he was working tonight, and he’s not mine.”

”I haven’t seen him, and believe me, I’ve been looking sweetie.”

Brian looked at Emmett as if hearing him for the first time, “He’s not here?”

Emmett shrugged, “Figured you two might be spending the night in.”

“He’s not at the loft.” 

“Well maybe the twink found himself something more interesting to do, or maybe Gary’s got him working a private party.” Emmett said, unaware of the effect the words had on his friend.

Brian felt ice grip him, another private party. He scanned the room for a flash of blonde hair or the greasy pate of the Sap. He found Gary first. The shorter man was heading towards him obviously upset. 

“Where the fuck is your little twink Kinney? He was supposed to be here at nine.”

Brian shrugged, for a brief moment relieved that he wasn’t at one of The Sap’s infamous private parties, but then the ice cold panic filled him again, if he wasn’t at the loft, and he wasn’t at work, where the fuck was that kid?

“Boy toy wonder? He went home.”

”Home?”

Both Gary and Sap looked at Michael who had arrived to hear the last half of the conversation.

“Yeah, his mom came into the diner, and according to Ma it was quite the tearful reunion. She took her little boy back to the country club I guess.”

Brian ordered a double beam and drank it, hoping it would melt the ice, or put out the fire. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling at the moment but he knew it was visceral, and unfamiliar, and unpleasant.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bullet, giving himself a bump before offering it to Michael, who declined. 

“I’m probably gonna end up driving you home tonight, one of us has to be able to keep the Jeep in a straight line.” 

Brian shrugged and ordered another double and a beer. He straightened his shoulders and spotted his prey, “Be back later boys.” he said as he walked away from the his bemused friends. Whatever the twink had done to Brian, it was over, he’d gone home and Brian had come back to them, the same as always. They watched in barely disguised awe as he whispered something into the hot guy’s ear, and was followed to the back room.

The scene was repeated several times over the night, followed by a couple more drinks, and a hit of something or other. Brian was well and truly wasted by the time Michael managed to get him up to the loft and onto his bed.

He pulled off the mans shoes and pants, and threw the duvet over him, locking the door behind him. He thought he heard Brian mumble the word Justin, but he shook his head, this was Brian fucking Kinney, he didn’t get fucked up over a stupid twink. Michael sighed, as he headed back to his own apartment.

~*~*~*~*~*

Jennifer didn’t want to push it, so she didn’t force Justin to return to school the following morning, but she did leave his books and lists of assignments on his desk when she opened the curtains and woke him up a little before noon.

“Christ, mom, I’m tired.”

”I know, but you can’t sleep all day.”

Justin hadn’t slept well the previous night; all he’d been able to think about was Brian. The feel of him, the taste of him, the way he kissed, the way he fucked, the way he held him. He jerked off, whispering Brian's name as he came, but he couldn’t clear his head of those hazel eyes, those deep red full lips, his scent. He’d finally drifted off fitfully only to wake to his mother flooding the room with light. He cursed, but then kept silent, he knew he was probably best off at home.

Jennifer was relieved when she brought a sandwich and soda up to Justin later in the day and saw him actually working on some of his schoolwork. Her son was back.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Brian awoke at nine the next morning, grimacing. He started the coffee, and got in the shower, by the time he was clean, and feeling a little more human, the coffee was done, a couple aspirin later and he headed back to the studio. It was a short day today because Chaz had rented the set to a smaller company for a ridiculous profit margin. Brian figured it was just as well, the new film was crap, his costars were trolls and generally speaking, Brian was experiencing something new, he wasn’t in the mood.

He performed, he said his lines, but he didn’t give a fuck about any of it and as soon as Chaz wrapped for the day he headed to Woody’s for a drink and whatever else he could find.

~*~*~*~*~*~

When Jennifer saw Craig’s car pull up she was hesitant. She knew he wouldn’t be as happy as she was to have their son back in the house, but she also knew that he had been worried about the boy, and would be relieved to know he was okay.

“So he’s upstairs now?” Craig asked once Jennifer had related to him the events of the previous day.

“Yes, he’s healthy, he’s fine, and he’s home, working on homework last time I checked.” Jennifer couldn’t keep the smile off of her face.

“Justin!” Craig called, summoning his son.

Justin heard his father come in and had been bracing himself for this the entire day. He had tried to work on a little homework, but had ended up sketching Brian, sleeping, talking, reading, walking, dancing, fucking. He’d tried to capture his every expression while they were still fresh.

He reluctantly left his room to face his father, not sure what came next.

“Where were you?” his fathers voice was gruff, but Justin sensed some concern behind it, and hoped that the time he’d been away from the house had given him a chance to process the information, to deal, to accept.

”With a friend.” 

Craig sneered, “I’ll bet.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t like that.” Jennifer broke in.

“I’m sure it was. This friend, was he…like you?”

”You mean queer?”

Craig leaned back as if he’d been slapped. “Well was he?”

“What difference does it make, you wanted me home and I’m home.”

Craig nodded, trying to block out the parts of his son he didn’t want to know about.   
“You belong here, home, with us, your family.”

Justin exhaled, relieved, he’d half expected his father to tell him to leave again.

“But we have to establish some rules.”

Justin said nothing, waiting.

“We have to consider your sister, your friends, your school, so as long as you’re living here, under this roof, you won’t be like that.”

Justin looked at him, trying to understand. “I won’t be like what?”

”Like you said you were, disgusting, with…boys.”

“I won’t be gay.”

“Not here.”

Justin laughed, there was no joy in it. “You think it’s something I can choose? Something I decided to be?”

”Justin, you know what your father means.”

“No mom, I don’t, what is it you mean dad?” he said the word with all the venom of an insult.

“I mean that while you’re living here, with your sister and your mother and me, you will not go to those clubs, or be with those people or…” his fathers voice trailed off.

“You know, you can tell me what to do, you can tell me not to do it here, but no matter what happens dad, I’ll always be your queer son.” Justin was angry now, furious. Yes it had been rough but he’d survived on his own, (well with Brian’s help), and he’d do it again if he had to. He’d rather live like that then pretend to be something he wasn’t. He had done that for too long. He wouldn’t do it again.

He was too lost in thought to see his fathers face turn an angry shade of purple, to see his quick movements or to duck before the blow hit.

He heard his mother calling for Craig to stop but Justin couldn’t focus as the blows came one after another, fists and feet, pummeling him. He curled up, trying to protect himself but his father’s anger was unavoidable and unstoppable. When his mother finally managed to calm the man down, to pull him off of her son Justin lay there dazed, feeling the world spinning.

He had to leave, that’s all he knew, he had to get out of here. He tried to stand, but he stumbled, he crawled out of the house, hearing his father’s threats regarding his return.

He pulled himself up, catching his breath, able to stand at the end of the driveway. He called Daphne. She was there in minutes, and was obviously upset. She tried to take him to her place but Justin shook his head. “Brian, I need Brian.”

Daphne nodded, afraid that Craig would find him at her parent’s house, or worse that her parent’s would return him to his own home. She drove towards the city.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was still early when Brian left Woody’s, he’d had a few drinks, taken someone to the back room, fucked them hard, come and then left. He was headed back to the loft when a blue car pulled up in front of his building.

“Brian.” He heard the sound and saw the flash of blonde hair as he stepped closer. He was about to say something snide to the little runaway when he noticed the limp, and as he walked closer to him, moving under the streetlight Brian saw the bruises and the blood. 

“Mother fucker.” He muttered to himself as he pulled the kid to him, wanting to crush him in a protective hold, but afraid of causing further damage. “C’mon.”  
He nodded at Daphne who only nodded back and drove off; somehow sure her friend was in safe hands.

Brian maneuvered the kid into his Jeep. “I’m sorry.” Justin said, feeling like the worlds biggest fool. 

“Sorry’s bullshit.” 

“I just need…” Justin seemed to be fading in and out of consciousness. 

Justin! He opened his eyes and Brian sighed

“We’ve got to get you to the hospital”

Justin tried to protest but his nose was bleeding again and he felt the blood running down the back of his throat making him want to gag, he leaned his head forward but that hurt too.

Brian gritted his teeth and drove fast, fighting down the urge to kill whoever had done this, and silently berating himself for letting the kid get hurt again. He wondered if he’d ever feel okay without the blonde directly within his line of vision, but right now, he just had to get him to the hospital, get him checked out. He felt Justin lose consciousness completely and cursed as he drove faster, pulling up to the emergency entrance and gathering Justin into his arms as he walked into the bright lights and horrible smells that only a hospital can provide.


	10. A Shooting Star

Superstar Chapter 10

Seeing the bleeding boy, the nurse waved Brian back to a curtained exam room immediately. He placed the blonde on the bed and took the clipboard the woman was waving under his face.

Two doctors appeared quickly behind her. “What’s his name?” one of them asked.

“Justin, Justin Taylor.”  
They were trying to open his eyes, calling his name, looking for some response. There was none.

“Is he allergic to anything?” one of them asked.

“Yeah, like everything, um, Tylenol, and codeine and blueberries, and”…Brian trailed off trying to remember what else Justin had listed.

One of the nurses was rifling through a wallet they’d found in his back pocket, “Here, there’s a card.”  
The nurse copied the information off of the medical info. Card and handed it and the wallet to Brian. “You should hang on to this.” 

Brian nodded. “Is he, um…”

“You’ll need to leave now.”

“Will he…?”

”Someone will be with you shortly, it’s important that you finish those forms.” She called for someone to escort Brian from the room; he was too dazed to fight. He wanted to stay but there were people surrounding the kid on every side, and no matter where he stepped he felt he was in the way.

He tried to complete the rest of the paperwork but there was a lot of information that he had to leave blank, how the hell would he know if there was a history of mental illness or cancer in the family, or even how many brothers and sisters he had, or… Brian shook his head realizing that he didn’t know the kid at all.

It was almost an hour later when a different nurse leaned out of the exam room. “Are you here with Justin Taylor?”

”Yes.”

“He’s awake, you can see him now.”

Brian nodded, and pushed the curtain aside. His breath caught as he looked at Justin. Yesterday the annoying twink had been frustrating the hell out of him and then took off. Today, he was unrecognizable. 

His face was swollen, one eye completely shut, bright red and already black tinged, bruises on his jaw and his throat, a cut on his right cheek. He was in a hospital gown, which made him look even smaller, and the angry red marks visible on his arms and neck, disappeared under the gown. Brian's anger grew with each moment, when saw what someone had done to his beautiful boy.

Justin wouldn’t meet his gaze. Brian took a step forward and Justin shrank back. He put his hand out, and Justin flinched, pulling his arms around his body protectively.   
“I I I’m sorry.” The blonde stuttered, his voice sounding a little slurred, his swollen and split lip making speaking difficult.

Brian shook his head.

Justin’s heart sank, he wouldn’t accept the apology, wouldn’t forgive him for the previous morning. He knew he’d lost him. A tear fell, hurting as the salty water ran down his scraped cheek.

“What happened?” Brian asked quietly, trying to keep his anger in check, trying to keep his fear from surging, trying to maintain his famous control.

Justin shook his head, refusing to speak. If Brian wouldn’t forgive him what did it matter? He’d get his money from the loft and find his own place, or better yet, move. He’d probably make more money as a dancer in New York, and he’d be safer there as well, his parents would never find him.

Brian sighed, watching the kid retreat into himself. He wanted to comfort him, to help him, but right now Justin wouldn’t even look at him. He sat next to him, resting his hand on the bed, not touching, simply letting Justin feel his presence. Brian needed his trust, needed to know that he could keep him safe, that he wouldn’t let any of this happen again.

The doctor came back in. “We have to take him to X-ray now.”

Brian looked up, the question clear in his eyes. 

“He lost consciousness for a little bit, he’s suffered a concussion, most of the cuts are superficial, but there’s significant bruising on his chest and jaw line, we need to ensure that nothing was broken.

Brian nodded. 

“He won’t tell us what happened, can you fill in any of the gaps?”

Brian shook his head. The doctor glanced down at Brian's hands seeing the blood there.   
“I found him like this.”

Justin's eyes widened, he hadn’t said a word to the doctor but seeing the drying blood on Brian's hand he realized what the doctor must be thinking. He shook his head adamantly, wincing at the pain. “It wasn’t him.”

The doctor nodded, not completely convinced but more concerned with the current status of the patient. He’d worry about his safe release later.

Justin put his hand on Brian's. “I’m sorry.”

“Stop saying that.”

”But…”

“Stop apologizing for something you didn’t do.”

Justin kept his head down, still unable to meet Brian's gaze. Brian opened his mouth to ask again what had happened when two orderlies came and wheeled Justin away, “He’ll be a while in X-Ray.”

Brian nodded and sat down, unwilling to leave the area, wanting to make sure he was there when Justin returned.

It was almost three hours later when Justin was brought back in. His right foot in a bandage, two of his fingers taped together, and a stiff brace around his midsection.

The doctor was talking directly to Justin now, ignoring Brian. The damage was clearly due to fists, and feet. Someone had viciously beaten this kid, and he’d seen too many domestic violence cases to think that it was a hetero only thing. 

“You’ve suffered a concussion, you have a couple of broken ribs, and your ankle was pushed out of joint. We reset it, and you should be okay, as long as you keep most of your weight off of it, but you can’t use crutches with your ribs the way they are. I’m going to have to recommend bed rest for at least a week. Can I call your parents, or a friend to come and get you?”

“I’ll take him back to my place.” Brian said.  
Justin looked up surprised and the doctor misread the emotion in his face. “I’m sorry but I have to release him to family, and…”

“I’m his brother.” Brian said, and Justin nodded, 

“My brother.” His only thought was that he could not go back home.

The doctor sighed, “He can’t sleep, not for at least 18 hours, then he can sleep for about two hours at a time, for the next six. Are you going to be able to make sure he doesn’t sleep? He’s had a concussion, he could have a seizure and die.”

The doctor was not pulling punches; he wanted Justin to know just how serious his condition was. 

“I also want to strongly advise that you call the police and report this crime. It’s obvious that this was done purposely.”

Brian nodded, “That’s up to him.”

Justin sighed, he didn’t want to get the police involved, wasn’t even sure that they could do anything. What father could be blamed for hating a gay son?

“When can we get out of here?” Brian asked the doctor.

“So long as you promise to keep him awake, he can leave once the front desk brings the paperwork through.”

Brian nodded, “I promise.”

The doctor sighed, he’d like to keep the kid overnight but the nurses had already informed him that the insurance company had refused to approve an overnight stay. He could pretend to run tests for a while, but in the end, he’d be sending the kid back to wherever he came from. He walked away, hoping his first instinct was wrong and that the kid wasn’t heading back to the danger he’d just barely escaped.

Brian sat next to Justin. “We’re gonna have a lot of time to talk huh, 18 hours, no sleep.”

Justin tried to smile, but it hurt. “We’ll get you something for the pain.” 

Justin shook his head, “I’ll be okay.”

Brian's hand reached for Justin's, entwining their fingers. “Yeah, this time I’m going to make sure of it.”

Paperwork finalized he wheeled Justin to the car and carried him into it, driving carefully back to the loft.

He left a message on Chaz’s voicemail telling him he’d be out for the week, ‘family emergency’ and carried Justin into the elevator, into the loft, and lay him gently on the bed. 

Justin settled in and lay his head back, exhausted.

“HEY!” 

Justin opened his eyes, startled at the yell.

“No sleeping.” Brian sighed and picked the kid up, laying him on the sofa, and sitting on the end, putting Justin's head in his lap, and elevating his damaged ankle on a pillow resting on the arm of the white Italian leather. He put on the TV.   
“Tell me when we find something you like.”

Justin nodded, still not really able to talk, the pain meds they’d given him I.V. were still in his system, and his mouth was swollen so that it hurt just to move it. He closed his eyes, as Brian absentmindedly ran his fingers through the blonde hair on his lap. He was flipping when he looked down. Justin's eyes were closed.

“HEY!” 

Justin looked up at him again,   
“NO SLEEPING!” 

Justin nodded, “tired though.” He said wincing.

“I know, but you can’t sleep, you have to stay awake, for… fifteen more hours.”

Justin tried to pout, but his lip couldn’t get any bigger than it already was, and he had a feeling that nothing he did or said was going to change Brian's mind about letting him rest. He nodded. “Fine, put in a movie then.”

Brian chose an action film, hoping if nothing else, the sounds of things blowing up would kept he kid from napping and returned to the sofa, lifting Justin's head slightly and putting it back on his thigh. He decided not to stop to consider why it felt so right there.

He put the remote in his right hand, hoping to distract his fingers, keeping them from running through Justin's blonde locks, which also felt oddly right and relaxed the kid too much. He couldn’t let him sleep. He watched his face as his eyes drooped, the pale skin now mottled by ugly bruises, his anger rose again and he wanted to jump up and hit something, someone. He had a feeling he knew what had happened, was willing to bet money on it, but he couldn’t do anything about it before he was sure. Besides there was something more important at the moment, keeping the kid awake.

He leaned forward, as Justin nestled his head further into Brian's lap, his warm breath making him hard. Brian cursed himself, “He’s a broken little boy, and you’re getting hard over him?” he thought to himself, “how fucking twisted.” 

He stuck his fingers into the glass of water on the coffee table and flicked them into Justin's face. “Wake. Up.” 

Justin mumbled, moving his hand to wipe the water away and taking a sharp intake of breath as his hand brushed across the bruise on his face. “Ouch.”

“Yeah well, stay awake or next time I’m poking your rib.”

“You would not.”

The medication was wearing off and the pain was seeping back into Justin's body, he could feel a throbbing in his side, and he grunted as he tried to move, to find a position that wasn’t putting undue pressure on his sore ribs.

“You okay?”

”Hurts.” Justin said, chiding himself for admitting it.

“I know, want something for the pain?”

Justin shook his head; “the pain will keep me awake.”

Brian grimaced, “I’ll keep you awake, you don’t have to stay in pain. You shouldn’t be in pain.”

“It’s okay.” Justin said, “I’ll be fine.” He sat up, turning his head so Brian couldn’t see him wince as he adjusted his body into an upright position.

Brian leaned over him carefully, pulling the pillow from the arm of the sofa and placing it on the coffee table, then gently lifting the bandaged ankle. “Doctor said to keep it elevated. Want an ice pack?”

Justin shrugged and Brian went to get him one.

He wrapped the icepack in a towel and managed to get it wrapped around the damaged ankle without creating too much additional discomfort. Justin focused on his breathing. Each breath seemed to hurt and the constricting brace around his torso, holding his rib in place seemed to be preventing him from getting enough air. 

Brian watched out of the corner of his eye. Justin’s breathing was shallow, and he was obviously in pain, he pulled out two of the pills that the doctor had prescribed, saying that Justin could take something stronger once the danger from the concussion had passed, but until then, recommended sticking to simple Naproxin.

Justin swallowed the pills because he didn’t have the energy to protest.

“So, why don’t you tell me what happened.”

Justin looked down at his hands. “It was nothing.”

Brian snorted, his disagreement with the statement obvious.  
“Was it your dad?”

Justin nodded.

“What happened?”

“He didn’t want me.”

Brian nodded. He wanted a more complete story, wanted to shake the boy for going back in the first place, for putting himself in danger but then he recalled their last interaction before he’d left, and knew he was to blame for the whole mess. He’d pushed the kid away, and the kid had gone. He’d done everything but drive the kid home himself.

 

“He’s an asshole.” Brian said finally. “Who wouldn’t want you?”

Justin smiled a little, trying not to show the pain the movement caused. “Sure, I’m very desirable, especially like this.”

Brian laughed, “Hey, there are freaks who are into anything.”

Justin's face got serious again and Brian realized what he’d said. “I didn’t mean, I don’t mean…”

“No, you’re right, I’m pretty when I’m not all bruised, it’s worth money.”

“You’re worth more than just what people will pay to fuck you.”

Justin shrugged, “Sure.”

“You are.”

There were tears in his eyes but he closed them, he wouldn’t let Brian see how much he wanted that to be true, but he knew it wasn’t. He was worth whatever people would pay to fuck him, or watch him get fucked. And, right now that was nothing, right now, he was worthless. 

He turned his head and closed his eyes. It didn’t matter if he went to sleep, it didn’t matter if he didn’t wake up. He was in love with a man who valued him for his blonde hair and hot ass. He sold himself to the highest bidder and if there were no bidders…well… he didn’t want to think about it. He felt the fog of exhaustion cloud his brain and gave in to it.

Brian was watching the movie when he looked over and saw Justin's head leaning against the back of the sofa. He tapped him on the shoulder. No response. He tapped him harder. Still no response. He stood up, “Justin!” Justin’s eyes remained closed. He panicked, gripping both his shoulders and shaking him a little. Justin opened his eyes blearily. “What?”

”Wake. The. Fuck. Up.”

“Christ, I’m tired, it was just a little nap.”

Brian was pacing. “We’re going back to the hospital.”

”No.”

“What am I supposed to do, you have to stay awake, did you listen to the doctor?”

Justin lay his head against the soft sofa again, closing his eyes. “I heard him.”  
“Then get up.”

Justin was tired, too tired to fight, “it doesn’t matter.”

“Of course it matters, Get up.”

”Brian just leave me alone, He tried to stand, thinking that if he could make his way out of the loft, he could find somewhere to sleep, maybe a hotel room, maybe a street corner, it really didn’t matter.

He was hobbling slowly towards the door when Brian’s body blocked him. “Where the fuck are you going?”

”I’m leaving you alone, so you don’t have to worry.” Justin tried to sidestep the taller man but he was no physical match on a good day. Today was not a good day.

Brian picked him up, and sat him on the bed. “Are you gonna make me tie you to the bed or are you going to be good?”

Justin tried to smile seductively but the pain the effort caused reminded him that he wasn’t the hot twink he had been two days ago. “I just want to sleep.”

“Yeah well you fall asleep now you may not wake up.”

“So?” He said it in a quiet voice. 

“SO?” Brian was too angry at this point, too emotionally drained to edit his thoughts. Too upset to push his feelings back and produce a blank stare. “So you’re not fucking dying on me. I just fucking found you. You. Are. Important. I have no idea why I feel this way, but I do, so you are not sleeping until I am sure that you’ll wake up beside me.”

This time Justin's smile was real. “You feel something for me?”

Brian ran his hand over his face, and through his hair, tired, miserable, confused. “Yeah.”

“You looooove me.” Justin said.

Brian smirked, “Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“You soooo care about me, you don’t want me to die.”

“Of course I don’t want you to die you twat, how would I explain a dead mangled twink in my bed?”

Justin wasn’t fooled. “You love me, you so very very love me.”

“Shut up or I’m putting you to sleep.”

“How would you explain the dead mangled twink in your bed?”

”You’re pretty small, I could probably fit you in the freezer for a while.”

Justin smiled, “You care soooo much.”

Brian leaned in, his face serious. “Shut the fuck up.”

Justin did, he knew not to push it further, but suddenly, there seemed to be more reason to stay awake than to give up and sleep. 

He and Brian talked, they played cards, and whenever he started to doze, Brian woke him up in new and creative ways. First he kissed his eyelids. The next time Justin played sleep a little longer and found hands squeezing his ass. 

This time he found that Brian had pulled down his sweats and was licking at his navel. He moaned, and as he tried to move he moaned again, for a different reason. Brian's large hands held him perfectly still, keeping him from moving as his mouth worked it way down, sucking and nuzzling at his balls, licking them, and then moving his tongue expertly up his shaft, sucking the head, using his tongue to worry the slit. Justin was making small sounds in the back of his throat, unable to move, wanting to thrust himself at Brian but remaining completely still.

When Brian finally deep throated him, using the back of his throat, to massage the now engorged head of his cock he knew he was close. Brian kept his hands firmly on his pelvis, not allowing any movement and then began to bob his head, allowing Justin to feel it each time he hit the back of his throat, as he swallowed around him, sucking hard, and then licking softly. He began to circle the underside of the head with his tongue, flicking at the sensitive area until Justin wanted to scream.

Brian knew he was close, could feel the boys breathing change, his body was a little harder to keep still. He raised himself up, angling his head just right and took all of him into his mouth, feeling the pubes tickle his nose, his chin resting on Justin's balls as they pulled up and he shot into his mouth.

Brian sucked harder, licking and sucking until he was sure the kid was dry. He pulled away, sitting up beside him. Justin tried to kiss him but Brian pulled back. “Not until your lip is better, I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Fuck it.” Justin said, leaning in to kiss Brian, to taste himself on the man’s tongue. Brian was gentle, he kept the pressure light, letting his tongue roam inside his mouth but moving quickly when he felt the cut on the inside of his lip, or cheek. They kissed, gently like that for a while, Justin's hand’s roaming up and down Brian's bare chest, reveling in the feel of the hard muscles covered by such amazingly soft skin on his back. It was several minutes before they pulled apart. 

“I’m so sorry you got hurt.” Brian said.

“It wasn’t your fault, I knew better.”

“Can you tell me what happened?”

Justin nodded, and regaled Brian with the story of his short and disastrous homecoming.

“I’m glad you came to find me.”

“I didn’t know where else to go.”

“You can always come here.”

Justin nodded, “Thank you for taking care of me.”

Brian shrugged it off, the emotional tension too much for him, maybe it was lack of sleep, or lack of oxygen from the extended kiss, but all he knew was that he cared more for this kid than he ever had for anyone in a long time. He knew this one would end just as badly as the last time he’d let himself care. Right now, he just wanted to make sure that Justin was safe, and his.


	11. A Shooting Star

* * *

****

Chapter Eleven

* * *

It was a rough 24 hours but somehow they both got through it. Pots and pots of coffee, movies, games, and an occasional splash of water to the face kept Justin from sleeping, and once he was allowed to sleep for more than a couple of hours at a time they both crashed hard.

It was almost 12 hours later when Brian opened his eyes. He immediately turned to check on Justin but he found himself alone in bed.

He heard the water running and relaxed a bit, the kid was in the bathroom, he hadn’t taken off. Justin hobbled out and made his way to the kitchen, a grimace of pain on his face.

“You’re not supposed to be using you’re ankle.”

“I had to pee, and now I’m hungry.” He opened the ‘fridge and turned back to look at Brian. “You really don’t eat do you?”

“I told you, I don’t cook. Call for takeout.”

Justin nodded and pulled the menus from the drawer. “What do you want on your pizza?”

“Get whatever you want, I don’t eat pizza.”

“Well what do you want?”

”Get me a Caesar salad, dressing on the side.”  
Justin rolled his eyes and placed the order, one large, extra cheese, pepperoni and a Caesar salad, dressing on the side.

“I’ve got to shower, I feel disgusting.” He said, hobbling back towards the bathroom.

Brian stood up, “Let me give you a hand.”

“I think I can handle it.”

Brian smirked, “Wet tile, and hopping around on one foot are not a great combo.”

“Yeah well if you had a tub like a normal person.”

“So now this is my fault?”

Justin’s teasing expression dropped immediately. “No, I didn’t mean that I just…”

Brian shook his head, the kid was over sensitive but there was no way he could blame him at this point and it WAS his fault. “It’s okay, I’ll give you a hand.”

Justin nodded silently and let Brian steer him towards the shower. He closed his eyes and hissed in pain as the water hit his face. The bruises looked even worse today, shiny, and still swollen, black and blue and a few tinges of deep purple in the center. Brian stood in front of the spray, blocking the water from hitting Justin directly. He carefully washed the boys body, running the soap lightly over the bruises and scratches that covered his chest and back, his legs and arms. He rubbed the shampoo in his hair lightly, cringing when the Justin whimpered a little as his fingers hit the large lump on the back of his head. Brian tried hard not to let his emotions get the best of him. But he was angry, each time he discovered a new bruise, or looked again at the myriad of marks on that perfect skin. He wanted to jump into his car, hunt down the bastard who’d done this and reciprocate. But instead he focused his attention on making sure Justin was steady on his feet, and clean. 

Once they had both washed the previous day from themselves he guided Justin to the bedroom, where he gently toweled him off and replaced the brace for his ribs.

“Leave it off, it hurts.”

“Yeah, well it’s gonna hurt a lot more if it doesn’t heal, and we have to re-tape your fingers.”

Brian took out the supplied the hospital had given him, “Sit down.”

Justin allowed him to put the brace on and tried not to look at his fingers, they were purple, and the middle finger of his left hand looked misshapen. “At least I can still draw.”

Brian nodded, helping Justin into some clothes, and put the brace back on his ankle. He then picked the boy up and carried him to the sofa again placing his foot on the pillow on the table. Justin was trying to protest when buzzer alerted them to the arrival of their order.

Brian brought the food to the coffee table, opening his salad and watching amused out of the corner of his eye as Justin started to devour the pizza. 

Justin caught Brian's look and blushed a little and then shrugged “I guess I was hungry, I haven’t eaten since…”

Brian smiled, “eat, you’re obviously starving.” 

Justin grabbed another slice and before the hour was up had finished most of the pizza, there were two slices left, that he was absently picking the pepperoni off of when Brian brought up the topic that they’d both been avoiding.

 

“You can stay here as long as you want, but after your birthday, I really think you should go back to school.”

Justin closed his eyes leaning back against the couch. “Fine.” He had no intention of going back to school. No intention of sticking around Pittsburgh, but he couldn’t really go anywhere for at least a couple of days, so he humored Brian.

Brian knew that Justin had not given up that easily, but he let it go for the moment. There was nothing they could do for several weeks anyway.

Justin moved his head and flinched, every muscle in his body was screaming in pain. He had been too hungry to notice it, but now that he’d eaten, the only sensation left was the feeling that his body was one large throbbing bruise. 

Brian handed him a pain pill and water bottle. “Now that you can sleep, you can take one of these.” Justin tried to nod, but grimaced instead. He swallowed the pill and within half an hour was asleep on Brian's lap, the undamaged side of his face buried in Brian's thigh.

Brian looked down at the mottled angry discoloration on Justin's face. It seemed to be accusing him, taunting him, and he wanted to scream. Instead he ran his hands through the soft blonde hair, gently running a finger along the edge of his jaw, tracing the red and black shapes that were more clearly defined today. Four welts, knuckles, two smudges, Fingers, A wide red and black splotch, palm print. Brian felt as if his body were tensed for the next blow himself as he mentally recreated the beating the boy had endured. The bruised the kid had received because he hadn’t been watching out for him.

He leaned his head back, trying to figure out how in a short week he’d become responsible for the kid and had accepted it. He couldn’t figure it out, all he knew was that something like this shouldn’t happen to anyone, especially not by the people who are supposed to love you.

Justin would survive; he’d proven since the first day they’d met that he was practically fearless, and smart. He’d get by, but for some reason, Brian didn’t like the thought of what he might have to do to accomplish that.

It might be due to his own story, maybe he related to this kid a little too much, there was a word for that…psychologists used it, but he couldn’t remember it right now. All he knew was that he’d made a choice, based on the best options available to him at the time, and it had worked out, but he wouldn’t recommend his path to anyone, and especially not this kid, this damaged, smart, beautiful, annoying, snot nosed twink of a kid. 

 

“Ow.”

Brian looked down and realized his hands had involuntarily clenched into a fist, twisting Justin's hair around his fingers. He let go quickly, embarrassed.

“I’m allowed to sleep now, you don’t have to pull my hair to wake me up.”

Brian ran a hand softly through his own hair. 

Justin moved his head a little settling back on Brian's thigh and closed his eyes again. His breathing was even and a small smile graced his lips, he was back asleep.

 

The week passed uneventfully. Justin pouted and tried to do too much, Brian hovered, and didn’t let him move more than was absolutely necessary. They were leaving to go for checkup the doctor had insisted upon, and neither was in a particularly good mood. There is such a thing as too much togetherness.

“Hopefully, he’ll give me some crutches and you can stop carrying me around the loft. I could even leave and go out by myself.”

Brian turned his head from the road for a second. “By yourself? How do you know your parents aren’t still looking for you?”

“I think they’re pretty much done with me.” Justin said quietly.

Brian nodded, not at all convinced, and not about to let the kid out of his line of vision. Every time he did that the consequences were disastrous. 

The doctor tried not to show his surprise at seeing them. He’d expected them to skip the appointment, he’d expected them both to disappear as often happens with cases like these, but from the way the older man was hovering, and the attitude between the two. He wondered if his initial assessment had been incorrect. 

After giving Justin a complete physical, with Brian pacing outside the door, obviously angry that he was not allowed to stay in the room, the doctor began to probe gently regarding the relationship between the obviously possessive older man and the hurt teenager on his table.

“Does he do this often?”

“Do what? Pace and worry? All the time.”  
The doctor nodded, “have you gone to the police?”

”No point. It won’t happen again.”

“How can you be so sure.”

”Brian promised me.”

The doctor looked up, “he promised you.”

Justin caught the expression in the doctors eyes and realized what he was thinking. He became angry. “You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. I told you before he didn’t do this, why won’t you fucking believe me?”

Brian heard Justin's voice raised in agitation and anger, and slammed through the door, doctors orders be damned.

Justin’s eyes caught Brian's and he smiled a little, his face hurt less now, the swelling completely gone, all that was left were the ugly bruises, which were now black and green, some with a slight tinge of yellow at the edges, and some deep purple in the center. 

“Brian will YOU tell this guy that you didn’t do this to me, he won’t believe me when I say it.”

Brian's fists clenched, his jaw clenched, he wanted to punch the doctor but he had a feeling that would be less than persuasive in his “I didn’t beat the kid” argument.

“It wasn’t me, I would never do this to him, or anyone.”

The doctor nodded, as Brian came behind Justin and slowly wrapped his arms around his waist, low enough so that he wasn’t bothering the bruises or broken ribs that were still in the process of healing. He kissed Justin on the shoulder. “It doesn’t matter what he thinks, you know the truth.”

Justin nodded, “I know but he thinks I’d stay with you if you did this.” 

Brian nodded, “He doesn’t know how smart you are, you’d never stay with someone who did this to you.”

Brian began to kiss Justin's neck, the boy leaned his head back on Brian's shoulder as he felt the warm hot kisses along his jugular, and just under his jaw. Brian swirled his tongue in a sensitive spot on Justin's neck and he giggled.

“I’d stay with anyone who did this to me.” Justin breathed.

“Anyone?” Brian smiled.

“Yeah, but you’re the only one that gets to me like this.” 

Brian smiled again, broader this time. “I’d better be.” And he pulled Justin a little closer to him, no longer caring what the doctor thought.

The doctor cleared his throat. “Your bruises are healing well, and you seem to be doing much better. I’m going to allow you to use these crutches; they’re not the kind that go under your arms, which is better for your ribs. He showed Justin how to hook the crutches on to his arms and where to rest his hands. “Be careful of your fingers, which also seem to be healing nicely, and still, not too long on them, no more than twenty or thirty minutes at a time for this week, and I want you back here next week so we can make sure everything is healing as it should be. Keep the brace on unless you’re bathing, and the ankle cast as well. 

They both smiled as Brian helped Justin down from the table. He was anxious to try out his new legs, but Brian insisted on using the wheelchair for now. “The doctor said not to over do it.”

Justin pouted, but knew it was pointless to argue. “Can we go out for lunch? We’ve been stuck in the loft forever.”

“Sure, the diner?”  
Justin froze, and Brian realized what he’d said. “Hey, it’s okay, we don’t have to go back there.”

“No, we should, you go there all the time, and it’s close to the loft, and I won’t let my mom keep me from someplace just because she was there once.” 

Brian nodded, relieved, he hoped Deb was working today; he’d like her to see what her helpful family reunification agenda had wrought. 

Brian let Justin use his crutches to get from the jeep to the diner, and gritted his teeth as he saw the obvious pain the movements still caused in his ribs but the blonde was determined. Brian held the door for him and they headed towards and empty booth when Brian heard Michael and Emmett’s voices calling them over. He looked at Justin who shrugged and they both went to join Brian's friends.

Brian sat next to Mikey, and Justin sat across from him. “Give me your foot.”

Justin looked at him like he might be insane.

“Put it up on the bench, you’re supposed to keep it elevated.”

Justin nodded and moved his foot, Brian put in on the booth between his own knees and Justin leaned back, feeling some of the throbbing stop.

During the entire exchange Michael had been scowling and Emmett had been fluttering trying to find out what had happened. His hands were on Justin's face, “sweetie, you look terrible.”

Justin pushed his hands away “thanks.”

“What’d you do, get in a fight with a bus?” Michael asked.

Brian shook his head; maybe the diner had been a bad idea. Justin raised his eyes to meet Michaels. “I went home.”

Debbie had missed their entrance, but smiled when she heard the words. “Well good for you swee….”

Her mouth was open but no sound was coming out as Justin turned his head away from Michael and Debbie saw the condition of his face.

“What the hell happened to you sunshine?” she was crying, trying to hug the kid and hold him away from her and look at him at the same time.

“He told you Deb, he went home.”

Debbie looked up at Brian, seeing him for the first time, “His parents did this…I mean that’s why…” the picture became clear to Debbie who’s anger was quick and vicious. “That little cunt, comes in here all worried about her poor sweet baby boy, and takes him home and does this to him?” She was about to start again when Justin stopped her. 

“It wasn’t her, it was my dad.”

“Doesn’t make it okay.” Debbie said, “How bout you sweetie, you okay?”

”Yeah, I’m fine, I just came from the doctors, he said everything’s healing really well considering it’s only been a week, and that maybe next week I can get a walking cast and ditch the crutches altogether.”

Debbie stood back, real tears in her eyes, “It’s been a week, Christ, you must have looked like hell a week ago if this is what you look like healed.”

Emmett was thinking the same thing. Brian just cringed with the memory of how he looked when he’d stumbled into his arms that night. He’d looked…. like he was going to die.

“He’s a tough kid.” Brian said, he’ll pull through, but if his mother asks…no one’s seen him.”

Debbie nodded, walking away. 

“She didn’t take our order.” Justin said

“I think your meal may be on the house today sunshine.” And he was right.

When Debbie returned it was with a bacon double cheeseburger, chili fries, a milkshake and a huge piece of chocolate cake. She gave Brian a grilled chicken sandwich and fries. Eat your own fries; the kid here needs his strength to heal.

Brain closed his eyes, not sure which was worse, Deb's guilt, or her mothering, but he couldn’t stop either so he just watched Justin eat more calories than Brian would allow himself in a week.

“So, your dad huh?” Emmett said quietly, running his fingers through Justin's hair. Brian fought back the urge to physically remove Emmett’s hands, but just barely.

Justin shrugged, too interested in his French-fries to think about it too much. “He didn’t want me to be gay, acted like it was a choice. Got mad that someone might find out, you know, mess up his business or his golf game. I could have just agreed, not done anything at the house, or you know, pretended. I was stupid, I wanted him to… to you know, feel bad about who he was, cause that’s what he was trying to do to me. If I hadn’t done that, we probably would have been okay, but I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. So…”

Justin finished his little monologue by dipping his French fry into his chocolate shake and then popping the combo into his mouth.

Brian hadn’t heard him say it before, hadn’t actually heard Justin blame himself for what his father did. He knew that deep down, there was that feeling of guilt, but to hear Justin say it so matter-of-factly, as if his actions warranted his fathers reactions… 

“That’s complete bullshit.”

Justin looked up surprised at the anger in Brian's voice.  
Michael and Emmett were taken aback by his tone as well.

“It wasn’t what you said or what you did, it’s who you are, and if your father can’t deal with that, then what he did was his fault, nothing you said or did made this happen. Not your fault you’re fathers a vicious prick.”

Emmett wasn’t sure he’d ever heard Brian put so many words together at once. Justin had tears in his eyes. He believed what he’d said about his dad, about his being able to avoid the situation but not being smart enough to do so, but Brian was so sure, so adamant that it wasn’t his fault, for a moment he could believe it.

Michael just nodded in agreement with Brian. “Fathers can be assholes, you can’t blame yourself for the miserable shit your father does.”  
Michael had known Brian forever, he’d given Brian this little talk himself a couple of times, and was glad to hear Brian repeating it to Justin, glad to know that Brian no longer held himself responsible for the bullshit Jack put him through.

Emmett wrapped an arm around Justin and said “sweetie, the greatest thing about being on your own is you can pick your new family for yourself.” He gave him another squeeze, “and you seem to have picked well.”

Brian smiled, whatever happened between himself and Justin, he’d like to think that the blonde could work his way into their little family. Deb would be good for him, and hell, even Mel and Lindz might have their uses. He hated to think of the kid alone, in some tiny crappy apartment, desperate for money, too much could go wrong.

Justin smiled a little and took a bite of chocolate cake. He wasn’t going to be in the Pitts much longer, if they wanted to think he was gonna just settle into their little “family” he’d let them, it was easier.


	12. A Shooting Star

* * *

****

Chapter 12 

* * *

Brian returned to the studio ready to shoot the new script. He made Justin promise to answer the phone when he called, and Justin had agreed sleepily. It was only six am when Brian left the loft.

Justin turned over after Brian left, falling back to sleep, inhaling deeply the scent of their previous night together and trying to block from his mind the things that Brian was now doing to someone else for the new film. 

They’d read the script together, it was about a successful businessman who didn’t know he was gay until he got really drunk and fucked a client. After that the man couldn’t repress his urgent desire for sex and fucked every man he met. It wasn’t a good plot, but people did not buy the movies for their strong character development so it would do as a vehicle for Brian to fuck a bunch of different guys in a bunch of different ways.

Justin was still too bruised and sore to do much of anything. Once he was fully awake it was almost one in the afternoon. The phone rang as he was about to pee. He answered, still a little groggy.

“Hi.”

“Brian.”

“How are you feeling?”

”Tired, I just woke up, stupid doctor, stupid pain pills.”

“Yeah well you need them, but don’t overdo it, no more than fifteen minutes on your feet at a time.”

“The doctor said I could go as long as an hour.”

“The doctor said no more than half an hour, and I’m saying no more than 15 minutes.”

“Fine, but I’m bored, I want to go out.”

“Not today, but I’ll be home early, what do you want me to bring home for dinner?”

“Groceries, I can’t eat take out one more day.”

Brian laughed, “Fine, I’ll stop at the market on the way home.”

Justin tried to ignore how his heart felt when Brian called it home, for some reason he felt included in the equation, but he knew he was reading far too much into it. 

“Hey, you still with me?”

”What?”

”You stopped talking, I said what do you want me to pick up?”

”Oh, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, maybe some honey.”

Brian laughed again…”I meant for dinner, you’re talking about dessert.”

“No, I’m talking about an appetizer.”

“Fine, I’ll pick up something, see you later.”

“Later.”

Justin turned his attention back to the classifieds, and realized they didn’t have what he was looking for so he booted up Brian's computer and went online, searching likely websites for roommate opportunities and job opportunities out of town. If he stayed with Brian until his birthday he could save his money. He may not have enough yet for first last and security but he could probably make it on his own for a few days until he found a job that would cover the costs. He logged on to train and bus information, comparing the costs to plane fare, trying to decide how far he could get and where he could go to maximize his income.

By four he was bored, pacing the loft, ignoring his crutches completely and limping only slightly. He stared out the window and decided he had to get out. He showered and pulled on some clean clothes, grabbing his crutches he headed towards the door. He was about to pull it open when it slid open from the other side. Brian was standing directly in front of him juggling three grocery bags.

“Going somewhere?” Brian noticed the freshly showered and dressed look the boy was sporting as well as his backpack.

“Um, I figured I’d save you the trouble of shopping, I was gonna go to the market.”

Brian raised an eyebrow and pushed past him dropping the bags on the counter. “The market is too far for you to walk when you’re supposed to be resting.”

“I was gonna take a cab.”

Brian sighed. “Now you don’t have to.”

Justin headed over to the kitchen and leaned his crutches against the wall as he tried to help put the food away.  
Brian shook his head, “sit down, you’re not supposed to be up, and especially not without your crutches.”

Justin scowled but sat on one of the stools and watched as Brian emptied the bags. He mentally took stock of what Brian had purchased, and smiled when he saw that he had bought whipped cream and chocolate syrup.

“I’ve got to get a shower.” Brian said.

“I’ll get dinner started.”

“Nothing with too long a prep time, and here.” Brian moved one of the stools into the kitchen space, “Now you can chop or sauté or whatever without having to stand on one leg.” 

Justin smiled his appreciation and took out the chicken Brian had purchased. He made something quick and easy, chicken with white wine and lemon juice over rice. It was almost done by the time Brian came back to the kitchen, water running off of his body a little, wrapped only in a towel. 

Justin smiled broadly, and then licked his lips at the sight in front of him; Brian's hair was wet and spiky, his body still glistering with water droplets, his strong legs disappearing under the towel. Justin slipped off the stool and walked towards him, mesmerized.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

Justin stopped confused.

“No walking on your bad ankle.”

Justin smiled wickedly as he dropped to his knees, and slowly crawled across the floor to Brian. 

Brian laughed, and Justin said nothing as he pulled Brian's towel off with a single tug. He buried his nose into the scent of him, clean and musky. He pulled Brian closer his small hands on the dimples just above Brian's well-shaped ass, taking his entire dick into his mouth at once, and then letting go of Brian's hips, allowing the man to fuck his face as he used his tongue and throat to please him.

Brian threw his head back; he hadn’t been in the mood for this when he left the studio. He’d had four or five guys already today, some of them even somewhat talented. Between those men and going to the grocery store, something Brian found painfully domestic, fucking was the last thing on his mind when he’d gotten home. That all changed when Justin dropped to his knees.

Okay, Brian admitted to himself, that all changed when Justin looked at him when he opened the door, but he wasn’t going to push the issue. With Justin taking the initiative like this though how could any sane man resist?

He felt himself about to come, and Justin apparently noticed it too, his hands moved to cradle his sack, squeezing lightly, as his mouth moved just to the head of his cock, sucking hard, pressing his tongue down on the slit almost too hard, making Brian gasp, and then he shot, as Justin swallowed streams of thick come. Brian almost collapsed into the chair and Justin stood up, getting two plates together for dinner.

Brian realizing the kid couldn’t bring the food to the table and use his crutches stood up and carried the plates himself, as Justin hobbled with the half empty bottle of white wine under his arm.

Brian went back to get glasses and silverware and they ate in companionable silence. 

Justin didn’t want to talk, he was tired of being ordered around like a baby because of his ankle, and he was tired of Brian fucking him carefully like he was a fragile china doll.

Brian had just heard enough noise and talking on the set to last him the day, so they both ate without speaking, each lost in their own thoughts.

The evening passed in much the same way as the meal itself. Brian flipped through television channels, never stopping on anything specific and Justin did a little more research online carefully clearing the cache before turning off the machine. He wasn’t sure how vigilant Brian might be with this whole protective vibe thing but he wasn’t going to risk his plans being altered because he’d left too many telltale sites in the browser history. Eventually he gave in to the throbbing in his ankle and the dull ache of his ribs and took two pain pills. 

He used his crutches to get to the bedroom because he just didn’t feel like hearing anymore about it.

Brian waited for Justin to go to bed before he turned the computer back on, he checked his email and then out of curiosity checked the browser history, it was empty. He shrugged, the kid was either hiding something, or more likely, was so used to protecting his privacy at home or on school computers cleared it out of habit. He yawned and stretched, realizing he was more tired than he’d thought.

As soon as he slipped between the sheets Justin rolled over and threw an arm across his chest. He sighed and closed his eyes. He was asleep within minutes.

The rest of the week went similarly. Justin feeling cooped up and groggy from the pain medication, Brian returning home tired and in need of quiet. Justin seemed to sense his need though and while they still fucked almost every night, they talked very little, both lost in their own thoughts, but neither uncomfortable with the silence or the company.

On Friday Justin had his second appointment with the doctor. He insisted he could go on his own but Brian insisted even more adamantly that he was going as well. 

They both had the same reasons for their reaction. Justin didn’t want Brian to know what the doctor said; he wanted to convince the man that he was fine and able to move about freely. Brian didn’t want Justin to lie about what the doctor said just so he could move about freely and so they went together.

This time the doctor seemed less suspicious of Brian. His obvious protectiveness of the boy seemed to stem from genuine concern, not a need to control, and Justin was clearly comfortable around the older man except when it came to orders regarding his recovery. He wanted to be back on his feet, and refused to hear that he was anything other than in perfect health. The doctor wasn’t so sure.

His ankle was healing nicely, and his ribs were beginning to knit, but it would still be at least two weeks before he could stop wearing the brace. Only one finger remained in a splint, and that was only for another week or so.

His bruises had faded, they were mostly yellow and green smudges now, and no permanent damage seemed to have been done. 

The doctor warned Justin about overdoing it, and reminded him that the brace stayed on until further notice. Justin nodded and Brian seemed to be trying to memorize the instructions. He also offered to write another prescription for pain but Justin adamantly refused, he complained of being groggy and fuzzy headed when medicated. The doctor wrote the scrip anyway, telling him to take them only if he really needed them but that it was safer to have them at hand than to find himself in real pain without them.

Justin nodded and the two left the office.

“Thank god I finally got rid of those crutches.”

“Yeah but not the braces, you still have to wear the one on your ribs and the one on your ankle.”

“I know. I was there.”

Brian nodded. He was unhappy. He knew he should be relieved that in a week the boy would be 18 and that he was healing well. All he felt was a sense of impending loss. Once he was healed, once he was legal, there would be no way for him to keep the kid in the loft, and no reason for the kid to want to stay. He tried not to think about what had happened each time he’d taken his eyes off the blonde since he’d met him, but the sickening possibilities flashed unbidden.

“Lunch?”

”Yeah but not the diner.”

“You don’t like my friends?”

”They’re fine, but I want to go somewhere with lots of people, I’ve been stuck in the fucking loft for two goddamn weeks. I NEED TO BE OUT!”

Brian laughed, “Where do you want to go?”

”The mall, and then tonight, Babylon… I mean, a club.”

Brian nodded understanding why he might not be ready to return to Babylon as a patron after his experience as an employee.

“The mall huh?”

”Yeah, they have a decent art supply store, and my sketchbook is almost full, and I need to feel like there’s someone else in the world besides you and me.”

Brian understood. He left everyday and went to work and the kid sat there in the loft with nothing to do but watch TV and sketch. “The mall.”

Justin smiled broadly and kissed Brian who put his hand on the back of Justin's neck and pulled him in for a deeper kiss. It was several minutes before their hands stopped roaming and they separated and went to the respective sides of the jeep. Brian turned the car around and pointed it towards the mall.

“Fine but nothing from old navy.”

Justin harrumphed.

They were walking through the mall towards the art supply store, Justin just glad to be out of the house, and Brian just happy to see the blonde smiling when they heard someone calling for him.

“Justin.”

Justin froze.

“Justin.” 

Brian looked up to see a blonde woman walking towards them smiling.  
Justin turned around, looking like he was ready to run, his eyes wide.

“Justin, honey, I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

“Mom.” Justin said it quietly and Brian took a small step putting himself between the kid and his mother.

Justin started to walk in the other direction as his mothers steps quickened but he wasn’t quick enough, his ankle still in a brace his body still a little sore. His mother was standing in front of him now.

Brian put his arm around Justin protectively, saying nothing.

“Justin, where have you been, I’ve tried to call but…”

“I blocked your number.”

“Honey…” she reached out to touch his face and he flinched away.

Brian pulled him closer and began to walk.

“Justin stop.”

Justin did.

“Honey, I know things got out of hand, but…”

Brian couldn’t keep quiet any longer. “Out of hand?” he spat the words. “Broken ribs, a concussion, Christ, if that’s what you call out of hand I’d hate to see what you would actually classify as abuse.”

Jennifer shrank back a little from the anger in the man’s eyes and his words.

“You don’t understand, Justin and his father have things to work out but…”

Brian cut her off again. “But nothing, I’ve seen the way his father likes to ‘work things out’ I think they’ve said all they have to say to each other.”

Jennifer was angry now. “Who the hell are you to tell me what my son and my husband will or won’t talk about. I’m his mother.”

Brian’s look was cold and he was fighting the urge to push this woman aside, hard. “Some mother.” Was all he said, pulling Justin with him as he tried to side step her.

Justin watched the confrontation between the two with rising fear, he was afraid of what Brian might do, but he was also afraid of what his mother might do, or say. What if she wanted him to come home? He couldn’t go. He wouldn’t go. He’d run first, where no one could find him. He felt Brian pulling him, guiding him away and he followed but he looked back at his mom, she looked as if she’d be struck. He stopped and his eyes locked with his mothers.

Brian felt Justin's resistance the moment he stopped and he saw the two looking at each other, he wanted to pull the kid away, to keep him from getting tangled back into the drama of his family but he couldn’t force him to do it, he could only guide him.

“Mommy.” Justin said. 

Jennifer approached cautiously, not touching Justin, simply moving closer to the son she’d thought she lost. “Justin.”

There were tears in his eyes. “Mommy I’m sorry.”

Brian wanted to scream at him, instead he clenched his jaw. Why was he apologizing to her?

“No, honey, I’m sorry, I should have realized, I should have stopped him faster, I’m so sorry honey, I really want you to come home.”

Justin’s entire body stiffened, Brian pulled him a little closer, hoping his mother couldn’t convince him to return again. She’d done it before, and Justin had a pretty good idea of what to expect that time. Would he make the same mistake? 

Brian’s relationship with his parents had been easier to sever. It had been difficult at times to accept that his mother didn’t care enough and his father didn’t care at all but Justin didn’t have that luxury. Two months ago his parents were loving, attentive and accepting, it took more than a few bruises to let go of that.

“I can’t.” he heard Justin say quietly. 

“Honey, I won’t let him…”

”You can’t stop him, and he won’t stop, not unless I pretend to be something else. I’m…” Justin took a deep breath trying to calm himself. “I’m not going with you, I’m staying with Brian.”

Jennifer looked up, turning her full attention for the first time since seeing her son to the man standing next to him. He was tall, attractive, and quite a bit older than Justin and bile rose in her throat as she thought about what this older man might be doing to her baby. His stance, his entire demeanor was protective, possessive. Is that what Justin was to him, a possession. She wasn’t completely naïve, she knew what could happen to a kid on the streets, and maybe he was better off with someone who… She shook her head at the thought. Justin, her baby was NOT better off being some little toy for a grown man. “Justin you can stay with grandma, or maybe with your cousin in New York, but honey, you can’t just…”

 

Justin stopped her. “I’m not gonna be shipped off like some dirty secret. I’m fine, I’m on my own and I’m taking care of myself.”

“But you’re not on your own your with this…she fluttered her hand at Brian…Man.”

“He’s helping me, but only for a little while longer, until I’m healed. Then I’ll be 18 and no one can tell me what to do.”

Neither Jennifer nor Brian particularly liked the idea but Brian knew he had more control of the situation than Jennifer did, he also knew that he could protect Justin, or at least would if the need arose, he couldn’t say as much for the woman who’d allowed her son to be so badly hurt while she stood and did nothing.

“We’re leaving now.” Brian said, pulling Justin away. 

”Justin, call me please, on my cell, you won’t have to talk to daddy.”

Justin nodded and allowed Brian to lead him out of the mall and back into the jeep. Neither said anything for a few moments.

“I’m sorry.” Justin said.

“For what?”

”For what my mom thinks, for what she said about you.”

“She didn’t say much.”

”Yeah but she thinks that you’re, you know, using me.”

“Well, let her think what she wants to, we both know the truth.”

Justin nodded.

“So why don’t we stop at the art supply store in town, get you a sketch pad and then we’ll grab lunch somewhere that no one can find us.”

Justin nodded again and Brian pulled out of the parking lot.

They were both silent. Brian had said, “We both know the truth.” And as Justin tried to figure it out, he realized that he didn’t have a clue what the truth regarding their relationship was.

Brian was concentrating on driving, and pretending that he knew what the truth of their relationship was, because if he admitted that what appeared to be the truth was far from what he wanted he would have to admit to a lot of things he just wasn’t ready for. 

The art supply store in the city was well stocked and Justin could have spent hours simply poring over the options but he kept himself as focused as possible, picking up a couple of sketch pads and a few more drawing pencils. He saw a set of pastels he would love but the cost would cut into his savings too much, he needed to move on soon, and travel light.

Brian saw him eyeing the pastels and picked up the package adding it to the pile on the counter as the clerk was ringing up the other items. Justin looked up quickly but Brian simply pulled out a credit card and paid the bill. 

Once the items were bagged and they were back in the jeep Justin started to say something. Brian held his hand up, “your stuff is pretty damn good, you’ve got some talent, consider it my support of the arts.”

Justin smiled, it was a small gesture but after his run in with his mother, it meant more to him than it probably should.

Brian took them to an out of the way little Japanese place where Justin discovered, after much cajoling that he LOVED sushi. Brian laughed, watching the kid discover the finer arts of good sushi. He marveled at the light that had seemed to return to his eyes after the encounter with his bitch of a mom. He was just glad to see him happy.

They returned to the loft and Justin immediately tore into the new set of pastels, he had sketched Brian a thousand times it seems but he wanted to capture the color of his eyes, the flush of his skin when it was glistening with a sheen of sweat. The amazing deep color of his lips. The way his tongue was the most enticing pink when it was running down Justin's body, the dark angry red that his cock would turn when Justin would tease him for too long. He began his work with a passion he hadn’t felt in a while. 

Brian watched him as his tongue stuck out a little, he was in deep concentration absolutely adorable, and unbelievably sexy. 

He tried to ignore him for a while but his eyes kept glancing towards the corner of the loft that Justin had determined got the best light. Finally, he walked over, taking the pad out of Justin's hand, and removing the pastel from his grip. He took both his hands, and lifted him up to a standing position kissing him deeply.

“Mmmmmm”  
Brian kissed him again

“Brian?”

”Yes?”

”I want you to fuck me.”

“I was going to.”

“No, I mean, hard, you’ve been so careful, I’m not gonna break, I promise.”

“Careful?” Brian raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah you know, it’s not that I don’t like…”Justin began to blush

“You’re still hurt, your ribs are still healing.”

“But…”

Brian led him to the bed. “Want to play a game?”

Justin smiled, “always.

“Okay, be a good little boy, and take off all your clothes.”

Justin did as he was instructed.

Brian pushed him back on the bed, and lay him on his back, spread-eagled.

“I’ll tell you what…”  
he walked away from the bed and Justin sat up…

“Nope, lay back down.” Brian dangled the black restraints he’s retrieved over Justin who immediately lay back allowing Brian to secure him, arms and legs to the bed. He felt so open, so…naked. It was stupid, he knew, he’d been naked a hundred times in front of Brian but with each arm and each leg tied to a corner of the bed, he knew that he had no control, and the thought made him harder.

Brian lay his body over Justin's, rubbing their erections against each other as he kissed the blonde who lay so wantonly, smiling up at him on the bed.

He was careful not to allow the kids back to arch too much, to have connected the restraint above the damage on his ankle, he couldn’t hurt himself. Brian reached down, tying a leather restraint onto Justin's cock, running the leather down between his balls, constricting them so that he couldn’t come until Brian released him. 

He saw the boy’s eyes open with surprise, and he touched the head of his leaking cock, and heard him moan. Brian smiled again. Then moved his head down to lick at the boys nipples, nibbling and biting at them, but stopping each time Justin arched further off the bed, he wouldn’t allow him to hurt his ribs, his brace was still on, and it was the hottest thing Brian had ever seen.

His pale skin, the black brace, his body spread wide, and obviously wanting. Brian pulled out the last toy in his arsenal and attached a soft but tight clip to each of Justin’s nipples. The clamps were attached by a thin chain and when Brian tugged lightly the boy moaned even louder. 

“Do you like that?”

Justin nodded, at a loss for words.

“I thought you might.”

Brian lay beside him, “You’re tired of gentle huh?”

Justin made a small noise that Brian couldn’t decipher as he gently ran his hands along Justin's body, doing nothing more than moving in small circles with his fingers around the clamps on his nipples, occasionally running a hand between his thighs. Sometimes he’d stop and run his full palm along Justin's erection, eliciting a higher pitched whimper. 

Eventually Brian's tongue followed the path he’d trailed with his fingers. Kissing down his belly, across his chest. Nibbling at his neck and ears, licking at his inner thighs. Stroking his body while his lips played with the head of the blondes cock, holding his body down, allowing him to react only in sound, not action. 

Eventually Brian lowered his head and lifted Justin's hip, sucking a finger and pushing it into him. Justin let out a low moan and Brian felt him tense up against the intrusion and then welcome it, trying to pull it deeper into himself.

He smiled and inserted another finger, crooking it just a bit to make the experience more pleasurable. He added a third finger and tapped it lightly against his prostate making the kid howl. He knew it was almost torture, and that Justin wanted to come, but he wasn’t ready to allow that yet.

He pulled a soft leather cat o’ nine out. It wasn’t designed for pain or damage, it was too soft. Justin's eyes were wide as Brian stroked the leather strands against his hard on, and across his thighs. He lifted it and slapped slightly at Justin's cock and he moaned. Brian was desperate to come himself but he continued to hold back, simply enjoying the slow gentle torture of this man/child. His face contorted with agony, and then moments later, wide eyed with need and pleasure too deep for words or sounds now.

Brian continued to lightly stroke and whip the boy’s body, until finally Justin forced himself to find words.

“Brian please, I need it.”

”What?”

”You, I need you inside me.”

Brian leaned back down, inserting a finger again “like this.”

Justin writhed, “NO, MORE! I need MORE!”

Brian smiled and added another finger…”like this?” he asked innocently.

Justin wriggled against his fingers, “Fuck me please.”

Brian laughed, and put his face between Justin's legs, lathing his balls with his tongue, and then lifting up his hips just enough to flit his tongue across Justin's pink hole. 

“Brian.” It was a whine. “Please.”

Brian narrowed his tongue and thrust it into Justin, mercilessly tongue fucking him while the boy lowered his hips down onto the appendage, trying to get more, trying to get release. He was desperate.

Justin didn’t know how much more he could take, had it been days or merely hours that Brian had be torturing him like this, slowly, determinedly, thoroughly. There wasn’t a part of him that wasn’t on fire, his cock was painfully hard, and each time Brian brought his tongue or finger along the slit he felt himself bucking and jerking but to no avail.

Brian eventually removed his tongue from Justin's ass, and took his entire cock down his throat. Justin thought he might die. The harness Brian had put him in was now painfully tight, he needed to come and Brian wouldn’t let him. He was crying.

Brian looked up, saw the tears of frustration run down Justin's face and licked one from his check up to his eye where he ended it with a gentle kiss on his eyelids.

“Do you want to come little one?”

”Please.”

“Do you need to come?”

”I need it.”

Brian nodded and lowered himself again, he took the leather cat he’d been using and once again ran it along the boys aching hard on, then he added a tiny amount of lube to the smooth handle and pushed it into Justin, at the same time he took the boy in his mouth again. He fucked the boy, while sucking him off for several minutes, listening to his desperate mewling until finally he released his balls. The boy let out a groan so loud he thought all of Pittsburgh may have heard it as he shot down Brian's throat.

Brian continued his assault on him until he was sure the blonde would pass out and had no more to give.

Then he slowly removed the whip, tossing it to the floor he released Justin from the restraints.

Justin sat up immediately and Brian cradled him on his lap as he shook and kissed every spot on Brian's body he could reach. 

Eventually he lay on his stomach and sucked Brian's dick until he came and then raised himself up again, finding solace in Brian's arms, leaning his head against his shoulder, spent, emotionally and physically. He kissed Brian on the mouth and muttered “thank you” into the kiss. 

Justin had never experienced anything so intense in his life, and he wasn’t sure what to do with the emotions that had overwhelmed him but he knew that this man had control over his body, with or without physical restraints, and as Brian lay back, still cradling Justin's body, feeling the warmth of the still trembling boy he realized that he might not be the one in control of this situation, no matter who hooked up the restraints.


	13. A Shooting Star

* * *

**Superstar Chapter 13**  


* * *

Justin woke up in pain. He had drifted off half on top of Brian, and was still wrapped around him, but his ankle was throbbing, and he was laying on the wrong side, putting too much weight on his bad rib. He shifted which caused a sharp stabbing feeling in his side. He sat up quickly.

Brian looked up bleary eyed, “you okay?”

“Yeah, just need to get some aspirin.”  
“Stay, I’ll get it for you.”  
”Brian, I’m okay I can…”  
But Brian was already down the stairs, he opened the ‘fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. Backlit by the light of the refrigerator Justin was again awestruck by the man’s beauty, his lithe form, his ease in his own skin. He felt another stab, but this one wasn’t from his ribs. He was going to miss this when he left.

Brian walked into the bathroom and grabbed the aspirin bottle, handed two to Justin along with the water and then slid back into bed. 

Justin took the pills and then got out of bed, walking quietly.

“You should sleep.”  
”I feel like I’ve been doing nothing but sleeping for weeks.”  
Brian nodded and glanced at the clock, Four am, tomorrow was Saturday and he had the day off, he had hoped to have an opportunity to sleep in. There wasn’t a part of his life, it seemed, that this blonde hadn’t changed. He joined Justin on the sofa. 

“Want to watch a movie?”

”No, I’ve seen like everything you own at least twice.”

”Do you want me to get your sketch pad for you?”

”I can get it myself.”

”I’m trying to get you to stay off your ankle.”

“I know but the doctor said I could use it now.”

”Still, you should take it easy”

Justin simply nodded, too tired, and in too much pain to argue. He didn’t want to let Brian know how much his ribs were hurting at the moment. He remained silent.

Brian sighed, “Fine, we’ll play a game.”

Justin knew he wasn’t up for another “game” right now, and was about to say so when Brian returned with a Scrabble board. Justin’s eyes widened in surprise.

“What, you think all I ever do is fuck?”

Justin smiled and nodded. 

“Nope, I’ve also been known to kick ass at scrabble.”

“Yeah well we’ll see. I got a 750 verbal on my SAT’s”

Brian looked up at him from his seat in front of the coffee table “750?”

Justin nodded “1500 total, apparently, I’m pretty evenly brained, most people get much higher on either math or verbal.”

“You kicked ass on both.”

”Yeah I was pretty happy with my scores, so were my parents.” Justin's expression changed when he said the last word.

Brian tried to keep the conversation away from things Justin didn’t need to be thinking about at four in the morning. He turned his attention to making sure all the tiles were turned down in the box. “With scores like that you could go anywhere.”

”Well, I got into several places, but you know, that assumed I was going to graduate high school.”

“You could defer a year, finish school and then go. Claim illness or something.”

Justin shrugged, trying to pretend that the fact that his future was so different than what he had imagined two months ago didn’t bother him. “Couldn’t afford it even if I did graduate.”

”Where’d you get in?”

”Dartmouth, Princeton, Pitt, Penn, UCSD, and PIFA”

“Dartmouth and PIFA, kind of a dichotomy of aspirations there.”

”Are you just trying to prove that you could get a 750 verbal too?”

”No, I’m trying to say that Penn and Dartmouth are not exactly known for their fine arts programs.”

“Yeah well, I didn’t tell my parents about applying to PIFA, dad wanted me to be a business major, work with him when I graduated, take over when he retired, blah blah blah.”

”And you…”

“Wanted to paint, to create. I love to draw, I feel alive when I’m doing it. I’ve never quite felt that way when deciding the best way to minimize tax liability of durable business goods.”

Brian raised an eyebrow. Justin shrugged. “I took an AP accounting course. YAWN”

Brian laughed, Yeah, that’s why I have Theodore, he’s a boring man but the worlds most trustworthy accountant. Probably because he knows if he fucks with my money I’ll kill him.”

Justin laughed, “probably the best business incentive program there is.”

”So when do you have to tell these schools yes or no?”

”Well, I already told UCSD no, it was too far, and did you know Princeton is in New Jersey?” Justin shuddered.

Brian laughed, “yeah, I knew that, but then I fucked a professor from Princeton once.”

“You fucked a guy from New Jersey?” Justin shuddered again.

“So you were deciding between Dartmouth, Penn and PIFA?”

”Yeah, but it’s pointless to talk about, they all want that thing, what’s it called, oh yeah, a high school diploma.”

”We can get you one of those, it’s still not too late.”

”Can’t we just pay Chaz to make me one, Hell, he already made me 21, a high school diploma should be nothing.”

“I don’t think that it works that way, lots of guys specialize in drivers licenses, birth certificates, passports, but I don’t think there’s a market out there for fake High school diplomas.”

“There should be, hell, I get spam all the time about getting a fake college degree.”

Brian nodded, but wasn’t ready to leave the topic quite yet. “Suppose once you’re 18 we put you back in school?”

”Brian, I’m not going back there.”

“No, not to your old school, I mean once you’re 18 we could probably get you into the public school around here without too much hassle, and hell, if your old school was that good, catching up shouldn’t be a problem. You’d be graduating in three months right?”

Justin nodded, “But it doesn’t matter anyway. I already told you, I couldn’t afford to go to any of those schools. Hell I probably can’t even afford Allegheny Community College.”

“I could help with that.”

”Chaz won’t take me back, and I’m pretty sure neither will the SAP”

Brian closed his eyes trying not to scream in aggravation. “I wasn’t suggesting either of those options. I meant I could loan you the money. You can pay me back when you graduate, like a student loan.”

”Justin shook his head. I’m not going back to school. I’ll find something.”

“Like what?”

”There’s an escort service that’s hiring, says I can make up to 500 bucks a night.”

Brian's jaw clenched. “You’re not going to be a hustler, no matter how high paid.”

“You do realize how hypocritical that sounds right?”

”You do realize I don’t give a shit if I sound like a hypocrite right?”

”Brian, I don’t understand why it’s okay for you and not for me.”

”Because I didn’t have an option, and I’ve leaned to deal with it, and you do have options, and I….” Brian trailed off.

“You what?”

”I don’t want you to have to learn to deal with it. It’s not all glamour and fucking hot blonde twinks you know.”

Justin looked down at his hands, “I know.”

”Justin, you have some amazing options for your future, you should take advantage of them. Will you at least think about it?”

Justin nodded. He knew that in a couple weeks Brian wouldn’t even remember his name, would think back sometimes, maybe, on the annoying twink who complicated his life for a while, but he’d be gone, this argument was pointless, so Justin pretended to consider other options.”

Brian wasn’t sure why Justin's acquiescence didn’t make him feel at all better. Maybe because it had come too easily.

He took seven tiles and handed the box to Justin, who took seven for himself. They talked about other things, books, movies, hot stars they’d like to fuck, while they played a surprisingly, (to Brian), evenly matched game of scrabble.

Justin put the thoughts of his future out of his mind while they played, concentrating on the words, and whatever mindless banter they were sharing. He had to get out of here fast. Brian was making plans as if he was going to remain a kid under his control forever. As much as he loved Brian, and he knew that it was love, he also knew Brian didn’t love him, and didn’t need him complicating his life. It was after six when the game was over, Brian won by 15 points, but only because he’d landed a lucky Y on a triple word score. 

They went back to bed. They both woke up when they heard someone knocking on the door. Brian groaned and then lay his head back on the pillow, willing whomever it was to go away. Justin grabbed another pillow and covered his head so he couldn’t hear the banging but it wouldn’t stop.

Eventually Brian threw on a pair of sweatpants and opened the door.

“Lindsay.”

“Brian, I need a favor.”

She looked upset. “You okay?”

”Yeah, but Mel’s out of town and I need you to watch Gus, It’s just for the afternoon, I promise.”

Brian took his son from Lindsay, cradling the three month old against his chest. “Not a problem.”

Justin walked towards them both, bed head hair, wearing sweatpants and one of Brian's t-shirts which was way too big for him, but at least fit over the stupid rib brace. “What’s going on?”

”Justin, this is Lindsay, and my son Gus.”

”You have a son?”

”Did I forget to mention that?”

”Yeah, you kind of did.”

“Brian who is this?” Lindsay asked.

“This Justin, he’s living with me.”

”For a little while.” Justin added. Brian frowned but said nothing. They both knew it was temporary but why did the kid insist on making it so fucking clear every time he tried to just forget about it.

“Oh well, it’s nice to meet you.” Lindsay said, “I um, have to go, Brian, here’s his diaper bag, and a list of phone numbers and I’ll have my cell with me and on at all times, call if you have any questions or problems, and…”

“Lindsay, I can handle an afternoon with my son.”

“I know it’s just…”

“Go, do whatever you have to do, and I’ll see you when you get back.”  
Lindsay smiled and left.

Brian, still holding Gus walked over to the sofa and sat down, shifting to make the boy more comfortable in his arms. Justin looked at him as if he’d grown another head.

“You have a son?”

Brian shrugged. “Yeah, see.” He held Gus out just a little bit as if his existence explained everything.

“You have a son.” Justin said again.

Brian sighed. “Lindsay and Melanie wanted a baby, and I had a little sperm left over after a particularly boring night at Babylon. Nine months later, Gus.”

“You slept with her?”

Brian rolled his eyes. “I jerked off into a cup and the squirted it up her.”

Justin shuddered, “gross.”

“You’d prefer I’d slept with her?”

Justin shuddered again. “Why didn’t you tell me you had a son.”

“You never asked.”

“Yeah, ‘cause that’s what I ask every heterophobic gay porn star I fuck, “hey, have any kids?”

Brian laughed, “well now you know, I have a son, but they’re the parents, I’m just…well, apparently today, I’m just the babysitter.”

“you have a son.”

”Jesus Christ Justin, would you process this already so we can decide what to do about breakfast.”

“Lunch.”

”What?”

”It’s almost two, it’s lunch time.”

“We can order or we can go out, your call sunshine. And sit the fuck down, you’re standing too much on your ankle.”

Justin sighed, sitting in the chair. “Give him to me, and go take a shower, we’re going out to lunch.”

“You sure you’re gonna be okay with him?”  
”I have a sister who’s seven years younger than I am; I’ve held a baby before. Sheesh.”  
Brian gently handed Gus over to Justin and showered. When he emerged, hair still a little wet he took Gus from Justin. “Your turn.”

Justin showered quickly, trying to integrate the sarcastic, porn star and the gentle father that he’d just seen. Eventually the water started to get cold and he finished showering quickly.

They put Gus in the stroller and headed towards the diner. “If we’re lucky Deb will be working and we won’t even have watch him. It’s impossible to get her to put him down once she picks him up.

Justin laughed, not doubting it for a minute.

Deb was working, and she called back to tell Kiki she was taking her break as soon as she saw the two push Gus’s stroller through the door. They didn’t have to worry about Gus through lunch. Debbie did not relinquish her hold on the child the entire time they were there.

They were walking back towards the loft when Justin saw him. He missed a step and almost tripped. 

“First day on the new feet?” Brian asked. 

Justin looked up at him, wanting to shoot him a withering glance but there was only fear in his eyes. 

“You okay?”

”What? Um, I’m fine, I just.”

“Justin.” 

Justin froze.

“Justin.”

“It’s my dad.” He whispered to Brian. He was about to take off, run, somewhere, anywhere when Brian grabbed his arm. “Don’t run from this motherfucker. I won’t let him touch you again.”

“Justin, get in the car.” Craig said, motioning towards his car, parked on the other side of the road.

Justin shook his head, looking down at his feet. Brian’s hands gripped the handle of the stroller tightly. He wanted to go back to the diner, give Gus to Deb, but was worried that Justin wouldn’t still be there when he got back. He wanted to lunge at this man, do to him what he’d done to Justin, but he couldn’t while he was here with his son, and Justin. 

“Justin, I’m not going to say it again, come home now.”

Justin started to take a step forward and Brian pulled him back. “Don’t” 

“Brian, you’ve got Gus with you, I’ll come back, I promise, but we can’t do this, here, on the street…”

“No.” was all Brian said, he was not sending Justin off to be hurt again. You watch Gus for a minute okay?”

“Brian, you can’t, I mean, it’s not your fight.”

“Yes it is.” Brian said and walked towards Craig.  
“Who are you?”

”I’m a friend of Justin’s”

“He’s my son, I’m taking him home with me.”

Brian stood close to the man, “No, you’re not.”

“You can’t keep me from my own son.”

”Watch me.”

Craig pushed past Brian and began to walk towards Justin; Brian grabbed his arm and spun him around, landing a solid blow before Craig fought back. He pushed Brian against his car, leaning back to punch him with his full force. He stopped when he heard Justin approach. “It’s okay, dad, leave him alone, I’ll come with you.”

Craig relaxed his grip. Justin handed the stroller over to Brian and tried not to look him in the eye. “I’m sorry Brian, I can’t let you get hurt.”

Brian wanted to scream. Instead he leaned in and hugged Justin. “What’s your address?” he whispered quietly into the boy’s ear.

Justin hesitated just a moment before repeating it to Brian and then getting in the car with his father.

Brian ran back to the diner. “Deb, you’ve got to watch Gus. I’ll be back soon.”

He ran the seven blocks to his Jeep and took off fast; his goal was get there before Justin’s father even had a chance to get him into the house. He was too late.

When he found the house the silver Lexus was already parked in the driveway. Brian clenched his jaw and knocked on the door.

Jennifer answered. 

She recognized the man immediately, but had no idea what he was doing at their home.

“Brian right?”

”Right, where’s Justin?”

”He’s um, isn’t he with you?”

”no…” Brian was about to explain when he heard a sound in the garage.  
He headed towards the door. Jennifer, hit the entry code and the door slid up agonizingly slowly. Brian ducked underneath it, and found Justin pushed against a wall, his father holding him there.

Adrenaline driven, Brian pulled the man off of Justin. He said nothing as he pulled the blonde to him.

Justin tried to bury himself in Brian's chest, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

”Shhhh, you’re okay. Let’s go.”

Both Jennifer and Craig were yelling, to Justin, at Justin, at Brian, at each other, but Brian and Justin ignored them as they got into the jeep and Brian pointed it back towards the city.

“Brian I’m…”

“Don’t apologize, I know why you did it. You didn’t have to; I could have dealt with him. Did he hurt you, do I need to take you to the doctor?”

“No, he didn’t have time. Did you run every light?”  
”Almost, we’ve got to go to the diner and get Gus, I left him with Debbie, and then you and I are going back to the loft, and I’m seriously considering locking you in there. I swear Justin, keeping you safe is becoming a full time job.”

Justin was going to apologize again but he knew it wouldn’t do any good. Brian probably already had bruises from his dad pushing him against the car, and he’d had to leave his son. Justin shook his head; he was going to have to leave sooner than intended.

They got back to the loft without further incident and Lindsay was none the wiser when she arrived a couple of hours later to reclaim Gus.

Once Gus was gone Brian poured himself a drink. Justin went online, and booked his ticket. It left very early the next morning; he’d be out of Brian’s hair, out of the range of his parents, and out on his own. 

Several drinks later Brian was still thinking about what had happened that afternoon and was furious, he was also worried. He was worried about Justin and he hated that. He wasn’t the kind of guy who worried about people, well, not to the degree he worried about this twink with an amazing ability to attract trouble to him. His words were a little slurred when he said “c’mere”

Justin looked up “what?”

“C’mere.”

Justin walked towards him. He put his drink on the coffee table as Justin stood in front of him. He unbuttoned Justin's jeans, pulling them down. He was already hard. Brian stroked him through the thin cotton of his white boxer briefs. 

Justin leaned his head back, giving in to the sensations. He knew this would be his last time with Brian, and he wanted to make the most of it. He felt the cool air hit him as Brian lowered his underwear. He looked down in time to see Brian's mouth open, leaning towards his now leaking dick. He moaned as Brian's tongue made delicious circles around the head while his lips continued to apply pressure. Then Brian opened wider and took him fully into his mouth. Wrapping his hands around Justin's slight waist, resting them on his hips for a moment before moving them lower, kneading those perfect globes while he sucked hummed and swallowed around Justin. 

Justin moaned, he was close, so close, and then he felt Brian’s thumb applying just a tiny bit of pressure against his hole and he shot. Hard. His knees almost buckled, his breathing coming in fast shallow breaths. 

When Brian leaned back, Justin straddled him on the sofa. “I want you inside me.”

Brian raised an eyebrow, “you want me to fuck you”

“God yes.”

“Maybe” Brian said, smiling. He pushed Justin off of him and stood up. Then he pushed Justin back on the sofa. Leaning him over the arm of the white leather, his elbows resting on the padded arm, his knees sinking into the soft cushions. Brian pushed at Justin's ass cheeks until his knees were up against the side of the armrest, then Brian kneeled behind him, and used his knees to kick Justin's further apart. He was spread wide now, his ass high in the air, waiting. Each breeze made his hole pucker, and his dick harder. He rubbed himself against the soft leather.

Brian put a hand on the small of his back and said “Nope, none of that.” Justin stopped.

“Fuck me Brian.”

”I’m thinking about it.” He said with an evil grin as he walked around to stand in front of Justin. He leaned down to kiss him. Justin tried to raise himself up, to wrap his arms around Brian's neck but Brian held them down gently and kissed him passionately. Then he moved closer, his hard cock brushing against Justin’s lips. Justin opened his mouth, savoring the taste of the brunette.

He tried to create for Brian the sensations he had experienced earlier. Brian leaned over and rubbed his thumb against Justin's hole again making him moan and Brian's dick jump at the vibrations.

He kept sucking, hard and long strokes, little flicks of his tongue, swipes and circles until he felt Brian tense up. He redoubled his efforts, moving his head back and forth, burying his nose in the soft curly hair at the base of Brian's shaft. And then he felt him come. Justin swallowed and swallowed again, relishing the taste on his tongue.

Brian walked around him again, his hand stroking over him appreciatively. Justin tried to move but Brian tsk’d at him. “Just stay like that.”

And Justin did, unable to see what Brian was doing as he moved behind him. His legs were almost hurting they were spread so wide, and he was hard, he wanted Brian to fuck him. But each time he asked Brian said something agonizingly noncommittal.

Then he felt Brian's tongue, licking along the edges of his crack, taking long swipes against his pucker. He moaned and pushed back. Brian swirled his tongue around his ass, licking and nipping. Burying his face between the cheeks as his hands roughly manipulated his nipples. Pulling and twisting, while Justin panted and moaned, unable to form a coherent thought. It had been almost twenty minutes and Brian refused to do more than merely swirl his tongue, and touch his nipples. 

Justin was begging, “Brian, fuck, Brian, fuck me, Brian Brian Brian, fuck me fuck fuck, Brian,” they were the only two words left in his head.

Brian smiled, the kid was a quivering mass of need, there was nothing left of him but his craving for Brian's cock up his ass. He was feeling satisfied, and in control again, as he pulled away from the boy completely.

“Don’t move.” He said as he got up to pour himself another drink and retrieve a bottle of water. 

He opened the water and held it up for the kid, who drank from the bottle greedily, never moving his arms, as if he were afraid that a single wrong move would make Brian stop completely.

Brian couldn’t stop now if he wanted, but he didn’t let the little blonde know that, instead he swallowed his drink and sat down, Justin's ass still spread invitingly, leaning against the armrest of the chair. He licked his thumb and pressed it against his hole again. Justin tried to push back on it, but Brian pulled back first, allowing him only the lightest of contact before withdrawing. Then he stopped again. Completely this time. He gritted his teeth, and said, “don’t make a sound.”

Justin didn’t know what Brian was doing, didn’t know how much he could take, he wanted Brian inside him, he wanted Brian, but he was teasing him, making him need him more than he had ever needed anything in his life. He began to unconsciously rock against the sofa, the soft leather against his weeping cock felt good. Then he felt a sharp slap on his ass. “I said sit still.”

Justin stopped. “Brian please fuck me.”

Brian leaned over him, his now sheathed cock pushing against Justin's ass. “You want me to fuck you hard?”

“Yes.”

“You want to feel it?”

”Like this?” Brian asked, pushing a sheathed but almost entirely unlubed cock into Justin's hole, breaching the first ring of muscle. He heard Justin cry out.

” Does that hurt? I’ll stop.”

“Don’t stop.”

“You want it hard and rough?”

”Hurt me.”

”You’re a kinky little boy aren’t you.”

”Need you inside, fuck me.”

Brian pushed himself deeper, feeling Justin close in around him, watching as his head flung back, his lower lip rolled into his mouth to prevent him from crying out.   
“You sure, I can do it nice and gentle, and slow.”

“NOW!” Justin said,” HARD FAST AND NOW!”

Brian thrust all the way in, relishing the tight fit and the sound of Justin grunting as he pushed himself snug against the boy’s ass. He gave him a few moments to adjust and then began to move. Justin met him stroke for stroke.

“Fuck me harder.”

Brian smiled, the kid was a pain slut sometimes, he loved that about him.

He slapped his ass, the bright red handprint an erotic contrast to his pale skin. He pulled all most all the way out, changed his angle a bit and slammed back in hard, causing a jolt of electricity so intense Justin didn’t know if it was pleasure or pain, he only knew he wanted it again.

“Yeah, oh god, more.”

Brian did it again, slamming hard, pulling out, and pushing back in slapping Justin's other ass cheek, wanting him to feel this for a long time. 

Justin loved it, he wanted it this way, hard and fast, he wanted to still feel Brian tomorrow when he was sitting on the plane. He wanted to feel him next week when he was nowhere to be found. It felt so good but he needed to come. He reached his hand down to fist himself but Brian smacked it away. “Mine.” He said.

“I’m gonna fuck you 'til you come.” 

And he did, he never stopped his assault on Justin's nipples and ass with his hands, and he continued to thrust into Justin hard and fast until Justin’s entire body tensed and then he came, the first shot was so intense he fell forward, his arms losing purchase on the sofa. He was now bent over it, his head and arms dangling his body like a rag doll, Brian pumping into him while his body spasmed with aftershocks. Brian came a half a dozen hard strokes later, and felt Justin's anal walls clamp hard around him, milking him. 

When he pulled out Justin whimpered at the loss and Brian pulled him up, understanding, he lay the kid down, with his blonde head on his naked lap and slowly pushed a finger back into him. He sighed, and wiggled around until he was comfortable, feeling less empty, and more satisfied than he ever had in his life. 

Justin lay there, and willed himself not to cry. He would find someone else who could provide this kind of pleasure and even if he couldn’t he couldn’t stay with Brian just because he was the best fuck ever.

He wiggled his ass around Brian's finger, and closed his eyes. 

When Justin woke up it was almost three am. Brian was asleep in bed, “he must have carried me here” Justin thought, as he pulled the duvet back a little. He couldn’t shower, that would wake Brian. He pulled on his clothes quickly, grabbed his sketchbooks, and threw a few things into his duffle bag. He wanted to leave a note but he didn’t know what to say. Instead he left one of the drawings he’d done with the pastels, and then quietly left the loft. 

He wiped the tears from his eyes, called a cab and waited at the corner.

Six hours later he was at La Guardia, hailing another cab, except this time he wasn’t quite sure where to go.


	14. A Shooting Star

* * *

****

  
A Shooting Star  
Chapter 14

* * *

Justin was about heading towards the cabstand when he realized he had no idea where he was going. He may be a stupid kid but even he knew you don’t ask a cabbie in New York where to go, unless you want to pay a thousand dollars to circle the city and end up nowhere in particular. He walked back into the terminal.

He purchased a couple of newspapers and grabbed a pencil from his bag. He needed a job and a place to live and was hoping he could find someone looking for a roommate. If he had to stay in a hotel for a couple of night’s he’d be okay, so long as he found a job.

After paying seven dollars for a bad cup of coffee Justin scanned the classifieds. Apartments were apparently outrageously expensive here. He wondered if New York had been such a smart option, if he had chosen someplace further south at least he’d be warm when he ended up sleeping on the street.

The Village Voice had a few more reasonable options. He circled a couple of ads with street names and hopped into a cab throwing his duffle and backpack on the seat, his messenger bag still slung over his shoulder. He read off the one of the streets and lit a cigarette. He didn’t really give a shit if the driver didn’t want him to smoke; he needed to steady his nerves.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Brian woke up to an empty bed. He called out for Justin but got no response. He sat up, listening for the shower. Nothing. His heart skipped a beat, and then relaxed, the kid had gone to the diner, or to the market. Christ, he thought to himself. I really am a god damned lesbian.

He started the coffee and noticed that Justin’s pain meds weren’t next to the glasses where he usually put them. He started looking around the loft a little harder. No sketchbooks, no strewn sneakers, no art supplies anywhere. His heart began beating faster as he walked back into the bedroom and opened the drawer he’d cleared for the blonde. Empty. He felt sick.

He continued looking around, trying to convince himself it was a cruel joke, or a stupid prank, the kid was gonna pay for scaring him like this. Then he found the picture. It was one Justin had done recently with the pastel’s he’d bought for him.

It was a picture of him sleeping peacefully. “You deserve this kind of peace, goodbye, J. Was written at the bottom in his precise script.

“MOTHERFUCKER!”

He pulled on jeans and a black t-shirt, grabbed his wallet and his keys and headed out, cell phone in hand. He was scanning his incoming calls looking for Justin’s number. 

“Christ, I don’t even know the kids cell phone number.” He found it, and hit send. It went straight to voicemail.

He was still walking when he closed the phone. He wasn’t sure where he was going but he had to keep moving. When had he left? How long had he been gone? Where would he go? He opened the door to the diner and only realized that’s where he had been headed when he heard the bells on the door announce his entrance.

He scanned the booths, no blonde twink, but Michael was there.

“Brian, hey.”

“Hey Mikey, have you seen Justin?”

“Not today, did you lose him again?”

Brian ground his teeth. “He ran away.”

Michael looked confused. “I thought that’s why he was with you, because he ran away.”

“From me. He ran away from me.”

Debbie heard the last part of the conversation. “What did you do to him?”  
Brian pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to hold back his anger, and his fear. “Nothing, he ran into his dad yesterday.”

“Shit, did that fucker touch him?”

“No Deb, that’s why you were watching Gus, I had to go get him.”

“So he’s still with his dad, shit Brian, we’ve got to get him out of there.”

“Michael, he’s not with his dad, I brought him back home, I mean to the loft, anyway, everything was fine. Then I woke up and he was gone, left me a note.”

“Well, he doesn’t have a car, so he couldn’t have gotten far.”

“He has a couple grand, maybe more, he could have taken a bus or a train. Shit. I have no idea where he’d go.”

“Well you have to find him, do you know what can happen to a kid on the street?”

Brian gave Debbie a look that stopped her from elaborating. “Yeah, I also know that if there’s trouble, that twink has a way of finding it. He’s…fuck, we’ve gotta find him.”

“Sit down, let me get you a cup of coffee, and I’ll ask around, maybe he didn’t go far, someone may have seen him.”

Brian gave her a half smile to show his gratitude.

“So what happened?”

“I already told you Mikey, I don’t fucking know, we were fine, he was fine. I woke up and he’s gone, his stuff is gone, and he left me a fucking picture that says I shouldn’t worry about him. Right, the kid gets in over his head every time he’s further than arms reach away from me.”

Michael smiled, “Maybe you just don’t like him to be out of arms reach.”

“I don’t want him to get hurt.”

Michael nodded, this was not the time to point out that Brian had never what happened to a trick once he’d finished with them. Apparently, he wasn’t finished with Justin.

Brian sipped at his coffee and grimaced, added more sugar and tried again but he was too wound up to just sit there. He opened his wallet to throw a couple of bucks on the table when he noticed something.

Brian was anal about a lot of things, his clothes, his hair, his money. He kept his cash in order, lowest denomination to highest, all facing the same way, all right side up. He kept his ATM card and his credit cards in a specific order as well, but one of his cards missing. Not all of them just one. It was the one he never used, saved for large emergencies, kept behind his insurance card, but his insurance card was shoved on top of his ATM card, and the card that should be behind that was missing. He smiled.

“I think I can track him.” 

Michael was about to ask him what he was talking about when Brian walked out of the diner.

He practically sprinted back to the loft and pulled out the Credit card statement from last month, he dialed the customer service number quickly.

Ten minutes later he was heading towards the airport. His cell rang.

“Hi Mikey.”

“Where’d you go?”

”I’m going to New York.”

“This is a hell of a time for a vacation.”

Brian sighed, “He’s in New York, he flew. He used my Credit Card as confirmation. I’m hoping he uses it to check into a hotel.”

“What if he doesn’t?”

”I’ll find him.”

“I know you will. Call me if you need me.”

“Thanks, let your mom know.’

“Sure.”

Brian made it with seconds to spare, but managed to get his seatbelt fastened before the flight put it’s wheels up. Hopefully he wouldn’t be too far behind the kid. His eyes closed as he winced at the thoughts of what might happen to him on the streets. 

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~

Justin was frustrated. He’d called two of the places that were advertising for roommates but both were asking for security deposits and far more than he thought he could afford a month. The third call was no more promising. By the seventh call he was ready to give up completely and find a hotel or a cardboard box for the night. The eighth call restored some of his hope. The guy sounded nice, and was willing to meet with him. The rent was steep, $800 a month, and that was for sharing with three other people but it wasn’t unmanageable. He had faith he’d find a job, after all, he had Chaz’s expensive documentation, he was for all intents and purposes 21.

He gave the driver the address and looked through the help wanted section more closely.

Justin knocked on the door hesitantly. The building looked a little run down from the front but the inside was a different story. The hallways were clean, with new carpeting and recently restored wood paneling. He was on the fourth floor and his ankle was beginning to protest at the excessive use when someone finally answered the door.

The man was older, probably in his late thirties, (which to Justin seemed ancient), he had warm brown eyes and a broad smile “Are you Justin?”

”Yea, I um, I called about the roommate situation.”

“Please come in.” Justin did, his three bags making him look like a pack mule. “Well, you were pretty sure of yourself huh?”

Justin looked confused

The man gestured towards the luggage. “You seem ready to move in.”

Justin blushed. “I um, just came from the airport.”

“Oh, new in town.” The man smiled again and Justin relaxed. “Here, have a seat.”

Justin put his bags on the floor at the edge of the sofa and sat gratefully, he wanted to put his ankle up, it was throbbing but he didn’t want to appear rude. 

“So um.” Justin started, unsure of what to say.

The man handed Justin a cold bottle of Pelligrino. And sat across from him with a bottle of his own. “There are three of us who live here, Manny and Julian, they’re a couple. And me, I’m Matthew, everyone calls me Matty. 

Justin smiled, not sure what to say.

“Sam was living here for the past two years, but he and his boyfriend just bought a place together, which leaves the third bedroom empty, would you like to see it?”

Justin nodded and left his drink on the table as he followed Matt down a hall.   
“Manny and Julian have the master Suite.” He gestured to a pair of double doors at the end of the hall. “This is my room,” he said as he tapped lightly on the door on the left. “And this”, he said, opening the door on his right with a flourish “would be your room. The bed is for sale if you don’t have one. Sam and Donald bought a new one for their new place, and we figured we’d get rid of this one or sell it to the next tenant.”

Justin looked around. The room was small, but the hardwood floors were in clean and recently restored. The walls were painted a soothing shade of sage, and the two windows, which flanked the queen sized bed, let in good light with a southern exposure. There was a door to the right, which revealed a reasonably sized closet. The bed itself had a wrought iron headboard and footboard. 

Justin sat down. “I um, it’s nice, I just don’t have a job yet. I mean, I’ll get one and all but, I don’t really have the money for the bed yet.”

“Well, we’re getting ahead of ourselves anyway. We’ve taken at least a dozen applications for this place, and Manny and Julian would need to meet you as well, so lets just start with the basics shall we?”

Matthew sat on the bed next to Justin and handed him a pen and paper. Just give me your full name, social security number and a phone number where we can reach you, and I’ll call you if we want you to come back for another meeting.

Justin looked crestfallen. “You mean um.”

“Sweetie,” Mathew ran his hand through Justin's hair affectionately, you may be a cute little twink, but we’re not just going to give you the place without checking references, and making sure we all like you.” Mathew’s hand was on Justin's neck now. His fingers running through the fine silken strands. 

“Of course, you could show me what you can bring to the mix, help to speed up the decision making process.”

Justin hadn’t been paying much attention. He was trying to remember the social security number that Chaz had given him. He’d tried to memorize it on the plane, knowing that NOT knowing it would be a dead giveaway to anyone that it was a fake, that he was a fake. He felt the pressure on the back of his neck as Matty’s hand pushed his head downwards.

Justin didn’t know when Matty had unzipped his pants, but he was now staring at his hard cock, his head being pushed firmly, making it absolutely clear what the decision making process involved.

He closed his eyes. He needed a place to stay. He inhaled deeply, trying to calm himself and relax his jaw when Brian’s face appeared behind his eyelids. 

“I didn’t know you were planning on becoming a hustler.”

Is that what he was becoming? Just another rent boy, selling his services for whatever he needed. He didn’t want to do that. He had money, and Brian’s credit card, if he hadn’t cancelled it yet. He’d get a hotel room, find a job tomorrow. He wasn’t this desperate. “Yet.” A small voice in his head said.

He shook it off. “No” he rotated his arm, dislodging Matty’s grip on his neck. “I’m looking for a room, that’s all.” 

Matty laughed, but didn’t seem angry. “Your choice.” He remained seated as Justin stormed past him, grabbed his bags and ran down the stairs. His ankle was throbbing with each heartbeat, and tears were streaming down his face, but he just needed to be moving so he kept going. He wasn’t paying attention and by the time he was, fifteen minutes later, he was hopelessly lost, in a less savory section of town. He fished a cigarette out of his pocket lit it and inhaled deeply surveying his surroundings. 

It was only a little after noon but somehow this street seemed darker. Most of the buildings were run down, and large, industrial. There was a group of kids on the corner about three blocks down. Justin could hear them yelling to passersby and cars, offering their services and themselves. He turned around; he needed to get out of here.

He was walking resolutely, trying not to cry when he missed the curb. He hadn’t been looking down, he was nervous; he kept glancing around, feeling as if he were being followed. He fell hard, twisting his bad ankle painfully. He yelped as he fell, he put his hands out trying to break his fall and skinned his palms in the process. 

He wanted to give up, to fly back and crawl into Brian's big soft bed. It was still early in the day, he could get back before Brian even knew he was gone…but then he remembered why he’d left.

Brian almost getting hurt by his father. Brian's grand master plan for him to return to school. His parents refusing to let him be who he was. He stood back up. He was here. he would get by. He tried to take a step but his ankle protested. He looked around, hoping to find a cab, there were none in this neighborhood. A man on the opposite corner was watching him closely with an unsettling smile. Justin ignored the pain and walked quickly. 

He was finally in a less industrial area, still low rent. There was a small hotel renting rooms by the hour day or week. Justin paid for the room for a day. “We need a credit card.” He looked at the man as if he were insane. “I just paid you.”

Tyrell had worked at the hotel for months; he knew a sucker when he saw one. Most people paid straight up in cash but he’d learned that the right idiot would give him a credit card, like at all the big fancy hotels, just to cover costs if you were to run up a lot of charges. It’s not like the rooms here came with anything other than a bed dresser phone and cheap TV but hey, it was useful. The customer was long gone before they got the credit card bill with the extra charges. It was a great scam, his boss had put him on to it, and he had a feeling this kid could afford someplace better. He was hiding, and that meant he’d be willing to keep his mouth shut about the additional services charged to his room. 

“We don’t charge anything to it, it’s for damages or extra expenses.” He smiled reassuringly at the blonde.

Justin nodded and gave them Brian's card, watching the man run it through an old-fashioned sliding carbon copy imprinter. He wrote a few numbers down on the slip and handed the card back. “Room 304 enjoy your stay Mr. Kinney.” Justin’s head shot up. And then he remembered, it was Brian's card. He smiled and grabbed his bags, limping up the three flights of stairs.

Once he’d divested himself of all his luggage he curled up on the hard bed, not even bothering to remove the bedspread and cried. 

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~

Brian tried to contact the credit card company again but the flight attendant informed him that she’d be required to confiscate his phone if he continued to attempt to make a call while the plane was in flight.

He ground his teeth and waited. It was a 45-minute flight to NY. Justin had been on the 4:55, which landed him at LaGuardia at 5:40 am. It was now 12:45 and the plane didn’t land for another twenty minutes. Brian tried not to consider what damage could be done to his little blonde twink in seven hours. He tried to focus on finding him, making sure he was safe, bringing him home. Then he’d fucking punish the kid for all of this. Technically he hadn’t stolen anything. He had used the credit card for confirmation and paid at the ticket counter in cash. He couldn’t report him to the police, couldn’t do anything but find him.

When the plane landed he nearly jumped out of his seat. The moment he was off the plane he turned his phone back on. There were no messages from Justin. Mikey called to wish him luck. Chaz called with tomorrow’s schedule. He ignored them and called the Customer Service line again. 

Still no charges. “You’ll call me immediately if there are any? Thank you. Yes, I’m sure I don’t want to report the card stolen.”

Brian was in New York; he stopped dead in the middle of the airport. He was in New York Fucking City, looking for one little hot blonde twink. Where the fuck did he even start?

He sat down, his heart pounding with fear and aggravation. He had just imagined that Justin would be there, at the gate, waiting for him or something, but he realized how stupid that was. The kid had booked the flight online but erased the history files on the computer, if he had booked a hotel room, or made any other arrangements Brian had no way of knowing. He didn’t want to be found. “Then why’d he take the credit card with him?” a little nagging voice whispered in his head. 

Yeah, he wanted to be found, when he was ready to be found…but what if… what if he didn’t get a chance to use the card, what if…

Brian started walking, he couldn’t sit in the airport all day considering the horrific things that can happen to a runaway in New York, he had more important things to do, like making sure none of them happened to this specific runaway.

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**

Eventually Justin cried himself out. His eyes were red and puffy; his ankle hurt, his body was stiff. He sat up and walked down the hallway to the bathroom he shared with the other four rooms on the floor. An old man walked out of the room wearing an open robe, baggy boxer shorts and a stained t-shirt. Justin backed into the wall to avoid touching him. When he was finally alone in he ran the cold water and splashed it on his face. He fished into his pocket and realized his pills weren’t with him. Cursing, he let himself back into his room, where he noticed two plastic cups wrapped in Baggies on the dresser. He took one back to the bathroom, rinsed it thoroughly and then carried it back, half full.

He swallowed two of the pain pills. It was a little after two in the afternoon. He lay on his back, trying to gather his thoughts, and instead designed intricate pictures in his head around the cracks in the ceiling. Eventually the pain meds kicked in and he drifted off. 

When he awoke it was a little after two in the morning. He was groggy, and knew that he couldn’t do a thing about his situation at the moment. There were 14 missed calls. One was from his mother; the other 13 were from Brian. He felt a pang, and pushed it aside. He took another pill with the lukewarm water that tasted a little like copper and pulled out his sketchbook. 

He was drawing Brian and Gus together when he fell back into the hazy world of Vicodin. 

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~

Brian thought hard about where Justin might have gone. He replayed all of their conversations in his head, searching for hidden meanings, clues, mentions of any sort of connection that would tell him where to start. His aunt, or his cousin or something, he had one of those in New York. But Jennifer had only mentioned that they were in New York, she never said the city itself, and were they even named Taylor? There were so many fucking ways to be related to someone without having the same last name. “Fuck.” I can’t call his mother. I…

He called information and got the number for Justin's parents, hoping to god that Jennifer answered and not Craig. He caught a break.

“Um, it’s Brian, I’m a friend of Justin's.”

“Is something wrong? Is Justin okay?”

Like you’d care. He thought to himself. “I actually don’t know, he kind of took off, it’s a long story. But he flew to New York, and you mentioned you have family in New York…I wanted to call, make sure he got there okay.”

“Justin flew to Buffalo?”

“Buffalo?”

”Yes, we have family in Buffalo New York.”

“Um, I guess I must have misunderstood him then, He’s not in Buffalo.”

“Where is my son?”

Brian was wondering the same thing. “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know? You took him out of his house, you were helping him, now you don’t know where he is, and all you know is he flew to New York?”  
Brian was angry now; it was easier than being scared. “Yeah, I was taking care of him. I took him out of the house because he’s already got two broken ribs and a bad ankle, I wasn’t sure how much more parental care he could take.”

Jennifer was silent for several moments. “Find him.”

“I’m trying.”

“Give me your number.”

“Why?”

”Because he’s still seventeen, his bank accounts are in our names as well as his, I can check his ATM use, you can’t. Give me your number, I’ll call if I find anything.”

“Or if you hear from him.’

“Fine.”

Brian rattled off his cell number. “Goodbye.”

He hung up, with no idea where to look next. Think Kinney, if you were a kid, with no idea where to go what would you do? But Justin did have an idea where to go; he’d been researching it…or had he? Had he thought this through? Brian grabbed a couple of local papers, wondering if maybe Justin had been checking the ads, looking for a job or…”

He sat down, trying to calm himself, unsure of what to do next, panic rising.

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~

Justin awoke again to the sun coming through nicotine stained windows. He looked at his watch; it was a little after seven am.

He stood up, and sat back down quickly. He should have put some ice on his ankle last night he thought as he gingerly removed the brace and saw that it was red and swollen. He sighed. He couldn’t get a job if he couldn’t walk. He couldn’t afford a place without a job. He tightened the brace again and took half a pill, hoping it would dull the pain without making him too groggy to function.

Grabbing his cell phone and yesterdays papers he sat back on the bed to make some more calls, maybe he’d get lucky. He was about to dial when he realized it was too early to call anyone about a rooms for rent. He checked the help wanted section again looking for something, anything that he could do without standing for too long. He heard his phone ringing. It was Brian. He wanted to answer. He didn’t.

Tyrell was just starting his day, pleased, he’d ordered a bunch of shit online last night, his girlfriend was gonna love the stuff. 

Brian’s phone rang a little after three in the morning. It was the credit card company. The card had been used, at several different locations. North Dakota, Philadelphia, South Carolina. Brian was confused. “How the fuck did he get all over the country?”

“From the looks of the charges sir, these are catalog orders.”

“So where are they being shipped?”

”I don’t have that information sir.”

“Get the information, someone is using my card, I want to know where they are.”

“I can research this sir, and get back to you in 72 hours.”

“I don’t fucking have 72 Hours, Give me the numbers for the orders.”

The Customer service rep read off several 800 numbers. “I’ll try to get that information you’re looking for Mr. Kinney. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather just report the card stolen?”

”I already told you no.” 

Brian hung up while the woman was in the middle of her spiel about providing service and asking if she could assist him further.

He called the first number and explained that he’d placed an order the previous night and thought he might have given the wrong address. They asked him for his card number, and his full name. Then they asked him for his order confirmation number, which he didn’t have, so they asked him for other verifying information, such as his email address, zip code, and mother’s maiden name. Someone else had set up the account, he had none of this information. He cursed at the woman on the other end of the phone and hung up.

The second call went similarly.  
The third call was a little easier and he got an address in, hallelujah, New York City.

He hailed a cab and barked out the address. What was the little twat doing ordering a bunch of shit from catalogs? Had he found someplace to live and decided to furnish it with a stolen credit card? No, the kid wasn’t that dumb.

It was over an hour later when the cab stopped at the address, it was almost five am, and the place didn’t look promising. It was obviously not a residence. Oh Christ, had the kid been mugged. His heart skipped a beat. 

The building was just coming to life. A few men in stained work clothes were clocking in, pouring themselves coffee, making morning small talk. Brian wanted to know which one of these fuckers had hurt Justin, stolen his credit card, left him on the street. His mind spun as his imagination created more and more horrific situations that resulted in someone here having his credit card.

“I’m looking for Brian Kinney.” 

They all looked at him and shook their heads. 

“He ordered something to be delivered here.”

“D’wante knew something was up. He let Tyrell get the shit delivered here because most of the people didn’t work here long, there was little risk, nothing really linking the two, they were friends, not much more, and besides, he ordered him a few things too for his trouble. This guy, asking about deliveries looked like trouble.

Brian watched their reactions carefully. A tall skinny black man in the back seemed to freeze when he mentioned deliveries. 

“You! You know Mr. Kinney?”

D’wante looked down at his coffee and shook his head.

“Look, he’s not in trouble, it’s just that the package is oversized, and we needed to make alternate delivery arrangements.”

These guys were driving forklifts, what he’s just said made no sense, but he didn’t care, he just wanted to find the guy who’d placed the orders, and find Justin. 

“It’s pretty valuable, I can’t just leave it here, I need to know where to take it.”  
“You a cop?” D’wante looked up quickly, who the fuck had asked that.  
“No, I’m not, I’m from the shipping warehouse, Mr. Kinney ordered several new computers, and I can’t leave them sitting out here. Does someone know where I can find him?”

D’wante pulled his phone out of his pocket and walked away. None of the other men responded with more than a shrug.

Brian followed D’wante with his eyes. He watched him whisper into the phone, nod and then hang up. 

Brian pretended to leave. As soon as the men disbursed he cornered D’wante. “You know where Justin is.”

 

The black man was taller than Brian, but skinny, and Brian's rage made him seem even larger. D’wante shrunk back. “I don’t know anything.”

Brian leaned closer to him; grabbing the phone he’d seen the man drop into the pocket of his coveralls. 

“Who’d you call?”

Brian opened the phone and hit the redial button. “Chester Hotel, this is Tyrell.”

“What’s your address?”

The man rattled off the address of the hotel. “And is a Justin Taylor currently a guest?”

“We don’t give out information like that.”

Brian didn’t want to ask for a Mr. Kinney yet. He didn’t want to give anyone a head start. 

He hung up the phone. “Tell me what’s going on or you’re going to jail.”

The man was serious. D’wante wanted to lie, to tell him he didn’t know anything, but more than that he didn’t want to go back to jail. He’d done six months, a few years ago and had stayed clean since then. “I don’t know, I just let him deliver the shit here. Then I call him.”

“Who?”

”Tyrell, he orders the stuff, on a computer, or from a catalog. I call him when it gets here.”

“Tyrell works a the Chester Hotel?”

”Yeah.”

“If he’s not there when I get there…I’ll know you told him. And I’ll be back, with the cops.”

D’wante nodded, understanding. He wanted to warn Tyrell, but the place was only a few blocks away, he didn’t have the time to warn him and run, and even if he did, he couldn’t lose this job, he couldn’t just never show up for work again. D’wante went back to work.

Brian checked the street signs; the hotel was about four blocks away. He ran. When he walked in Tyrell greeted him with a wide smile. Brian grabbed the mans shirt and twisted it until he was cutting off his oxygen supply. “Where the fuck is Brian Kinney?”

 

Tyrell tried to breathe but the man wouldn’t let him. His feet were dangling off the ground, his eyes wide.

“I can’t…”

Brian punched him once in the ribs. “Where is Brian Kinney?”

”Room 304” Tyrell squeaked. Brian dropped the man. Tyrell fell to the ground gasping for air. Brian was already up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

He called Justin and heard the phone ring on the other side of the door. The kid didn’t pick up. His heart slowed a bit; at least it was really Justin, not just someone with his card. Or…suddenly he pictured Justin lying on the sidewalk, someone else checking in with HIS credit card and Justin’s cell phone. He tried the knob the door was locked. He knocked.

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**

Justin was trying not to cry. Trying not to panic. He could stay here a few days, it was not the cleanest or nicest but it was cheap. Once his ankle was feeling better he could… He jumped when he heard a knock at his door.

“Um, who is it?”

Brian exhaled. Justin was on the other side of the door.  
“It’s Brian, let me in.”

“Brian?”

”Let me in Justin.”

“Brian?”

”Open the fucking door.”

Justin was twisting his fingers around each other, literally wringing his hands trying to figure out what to do. He checked the window, wondering if he could make it down the fire escape, but the window had been painted shut about fourteen coats of paint ago. 

“Go away.”

“Open the goddamned door.”

“Brian I…”

“I don’t care, open the fucking door before I break it down.”

Justin flinched as he heard the splintering of wood. The door bowed a little. 

“Okay…don’t break it.”

Justin opened the door a little. Brian pushed it open all the way, denting the wall behind it. He didn’t know what to do first, grab the kids stuff and drag him out of there, hug the kid hard and make him promise never to pull a stunt like this again, check him head to toe for damage, or demand an explanation. 

He went over his options several times.

Justin stood silently watching Brian fume. He was scared.   
“How did you find me?”

“You used my credit card.”

Justin shook his head. Only for the plane. Not for anything else. And I didn’t even charge the ticket. I just used it for…”

“I know, you’re a very honest thief.”

“I’m not a thief. And it still doesn’t explain how you know I’m here.”

“I know everything. And tomorrow, when we get back to Pittsburgh I’m having a lojack installed in your ear.”

“I’m not going back.”

“Yes you are.”

“Brian, there’s nothing to go back to. My parent’s don’t want me. You don’t…want me.”

“I never said that.”

“You want me?”

“I want you safe, you’re not safe here.” Brian shook his head. Why couldn’t he just tell the kid the truth? He DID want him. He wanted him more than he’d wanted anyone in a long time, maybe ever. Right, that’s why he didn’t tell the kid the truth. He was afraid of the truth.

“Brian, I can’t go home. I don’t even have a home.” Justin took a couple steps towards the window. 

“You can stay with me…Hey, you’re limping.”

Justin shrugged. I walked a lot yesterday.”

“Sit down, let me see it.”

“Brian, I can take care of myself.”

Justin got angrier when Brian snorted in response to that.

“I can.”

“You’ve done a bang up job so far. I’ve known you for two weeks; I’ve rescued you like 14 times. That’s once a day.”

“You have not rescued me once a day.”

“Even if it’s once every other day, I can’t afford to keep flying from Pittsburgh to New York to do it. So, you’ve got to come back, or I can’t rescue you in a timely manner.”

Justin rolled his eyes.

“Sit the fuck down I want to see your ankle.”

He sat and swung his leg up on the bed, wincing as he hit it against the metal frame. 

Brian shook his head. “Yeah, you’re fine all by yourself.”

He pulled the Velcro straps from the ankle braced and hissed at what he saw. Justin bit his lip trying not to cry as he pulled the brace off entirely.

His ankle was an angry red and purple, it was swollen more than it had been this morning, probably because he’d been standing on it. 

“Jesus Christ Justin, what happened.”

“I told you I tripped.”

“We’ve got to…”

Brian was interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. “Did you find him?”  
“Yeah, he’s safe, he’s fine, he’s coming back to my place.”

“I want him home.”

Brian hung up the phone ignoring her request.

“I’m not going back to your place.”

“We can get you your own place, find you a roommate, what ever you want, but you can’t just take off and stay in some crappy hotel. You don’t have a job, or a place to stay, you don’t have…”

“I don’t have any of that in Pittsburgh either.”

“You have me.” Brian said it quietly. He just wanted the kid back in his bed. An on the couch, and against the breakfast bar, and on the floor, and in the shower and…”

“Brian I can’t just move back and be your little twink. How is that better than any of the other options, just living off a rich sugar daddy.”

“I wasn’t offering that, I’d make a lousy sugar daddy, I’m too selfish. And you are not a stupid little twink. I thought we talked about this. You could go back to school, it’s still not too late.”

“I can’t”

“Why not?”  
”I um, don’t know how to read.” Justin dropped his head ashamed.

Brian laughed out loud. “Justin, you do remember that we met on the set of a porn film where we were forced to make you use cue cards right?”

Justin bit at his bottom lip…”I was um…”

“You’re gonna be a brilliant actor someday, but a lousy liar. Can’t fucking read.” Brian shook his head laughing. 

“Brian I don’t want to go back.”

“You’ve made that clear but I want you to come back.”

“So you can keep rescuing me?”

”Something like that.”

“But…”

“Lets make a deal.”

“What?”  
“You come back, graduate in four months, and then you can do whatever you want.”

“Whatever I want?”

“Within reason.”

“Who decides reason.”

“I do.”

“Why?”

”Because you don’t have any common sense at all, and you just told me the stupidest lie ever.”

“And that means you get to veto or approve all my future life decisions?”

”Yes.”

“Okay, lets do it this way. I’ll come back, and finish school, but NOT at St. James. And then I get to do whatever I want, reason be damned.”

“Compromise. You go back, finish school, doesn’t have to be St. James. And then you can do something we agree upon together.”

“Fine.”

“Good.”

“Are we leaving now?”

“Here, yes, New York, no.”

“Why?”

”Because we’ve got a few things to do in the city before we head back to The Pitts.”  
Brian grabbed Justin's bags and slung his arm around the blondes waist allowing him use his strength. He was limping badly.

Justin was relieved. Yeah school would suck, but in four months, he’d be able to convince Brian of anything, he was sure of it.

Brian was relieved. The kid was going to school, and he had four months to get him to agree to go to college. He’d be able to convince him, he was sure of it.

 

They walked a few blocks and hailed the first cab they saw. Brian gave the cab driver the address.   
“What’s there?”

“New York City.”

Justin leaned against Brian in the cab. His life could wait for four months.


	15. A Shooting Star

* * *

****

  
A Shooting Star  
Chapter 15  


* * *

Brian found a hotel in midtown and checked them into a suite. They hadn’t spoken at all in the cab. Justin was fidgeting, not sure what to expect, not sure if he was doing the right thing.

After a seemingly interminable elevator ride Brian closed the door behind them and they were alone.

Justin grabbed the remote off of the top of the television, and sat on the sofa channel surfing, trying not to look at Brian as he paced.

Eventually the older man sat down next to him, took the remote from his hands and turned it off. 

“Why did you leave?”

“I explained that already.”

“Not really.”

“I left a note.”

“You left a fucking picture, with half a sentence at the bottom, that’s hardly an explanation.”

“Brian, you didn’t want me, you never planned this. I showed up and you took care of me, but you never meant to, you were never supposed to. I don’t want to fuck up your life too.”

Brian sighed and rubbed his hand across his face, he felt the stubble there. He hadn’t showered this morning…yesterday morning, when the fuck ever he’d first found Justin gone, and NOW the kid was worried about fucking up his life. “You weren’t fucking up my life.”

“I was. I fuck up everything. My life is too messy. I had to leave, and I had to give you back what you had before I made everything so complicated.”

“Everything’s complicated Justin. You don’t make it that way, it just is. You putting yourself in danger makes it more complicated, not less.”

“I wasn’t in any danger. Why do you keep thinking I’m this little kid who can’t cross the street on his own?”

“It could be because since I’ve met you, every time you’re out of my sight you end up in over your head.”

“That’s bullshit.”

“Really? I go to work; you go home, where you KNEW what you were facing. You go to work and end up doped to the gills and selling your ass. You take off for New York and when I find you, you’ve somehow managed to fuck up your ankle again, and are being scammed by the front desk clerk. Justin, you’re a smart kid, with absolutely no common sense.”

“Fuck you Brian.”

“Yeah, we’ll get to that later, I need something from you first.”

“What?”

“I need you to promise me that you’ll give me the full four months. I’d like to be able to sleep at night and know when I wake up, I won’t have to run all over the country trying to find you again.”

“Why can’t you just let me go?”

Brian stopped, frozen. It was a damn good question. Why couldn’t he just let the kid go? He should, he knew that. The kid was nothing but trouble. He’d proven that time and time again, but… “I don’t know, I just can’t.”

“You have some kind of hero complex, you know that right?”

Brian smiled, “I probably do, why don’t you just take advantage of it for a little while.”

“Because it’s time for me to stand on my own.”

“You can’t even stand right now. I should probably have taken you straight to a doctor for your fucking ankle. Are you even wearing the brace for your ribs?”

Justin looked down at his hands. 

“Didn’t think so.” Brian said. “Look, I know, I really do, how much you want to just be on your own, but it’s not what it’s cracked up to be. You can’t go home to your family, but that doesn’t mean you have to do this alone. It’s not safe.”

Justin rolled his eyes. Brian was getting frustrated.

“Fucking hell Justin, can’t you just be a kid for a little while longer, finish school, take advantage of some of the opportunities you have? Why are you insisting on throwing your entire fucking life away when you don’t have to?”

Justin looked up surprised at Brian’s outburst. He knew he’d angered the man but his vehemence was still startling. “I’m sorry.”

Brian tried to control his anger, tried to swallow the fear he felt. “Justin, will you promise me?”

“I have to go back to school?”

“I really think you should.”

“Can I get a job?”

“At the gap?”

“What is it with you and the fucking Gap?”

“You know what I mean.”

“Yeah, but I want my own money, I don’t want to depend on you for everything.”

“Fine, so you get a normal after school job…once you can stand without pain.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay, I’ll stay for four months.”

Brian nodded. “Have you eaten?”

Justin shook his head. “I was too tired yesterday.”

“I’ll order some room service, and then I’m going to take a shower…want to join me?” Brian cocked an eyebrow and Justin smiled.

Justin had forgotten how beautiful Brian looked naked. Or had tried, but the moment he saw him peel off his clothes he was torn between wanting to kiss him everywhere and wanting to grab a sketchbook and try again to capture his grace and strength on the page. He settled for leaning back against him in the shower, letting the hot water wash away the smell of the past few days.

Brian held Justin against him. His arm around the blonde’s slim waist. He focused on NOT thinking about why they seemed to fit so well together. Instead he moved his mouth against the curve where his neck met his shoulder. He felt Justin shiver at the sensation. He moved his hand slowly down his chest, and heard as well as felt Justin’s breathing change.

Justin tried to focus on something other than Brian's hands; long fingers moving agonizingly slowly down his torso, heading towards his already throbbing erection. He instinctively moved his own hands behind him, pulling Brian closer.

The moment Brian felt Justin's small hands on his hips, and then lower, pulling him closer, bringing his hard cock to rest on the crack of his perfect bubble butt he lost all concentration and patience. 

He grabbed the condom he’d pulled from his jeans before starting the shower and pulled back from Justin only enough to roll it on. 

Justin whimpered when he felt Brian's body move away from his. Then he felt the chestnut hair against his shoulder blades. His forehead pressing into his back.

He put his hands against the tiled wall of the shower and moved his feet apart. Brian's hands covered his, their fingers intertwining as he felt the blunt head of his cock against his waiting hole.

Brian pushed in, trying to maintain some semblance of composure, but the moment he breached the first ring of muscle he lost it. He pushed into him completely. “Christ Justin, you’re so tight, so hot.” He whispered into the blonde’s ear as he thrust against him. 

Justin was pushing back, reveling in the burn and pinch of being filled by Brian. It had only been two days, he’d missed this. Justin tried to move his hand, to grasp his own hard on; he wanted to come, while Brian was inside him. Needed to. Brian, feeling the boys hands try to extricate themselves from his grip, held tighter. “Not yet Justin.” 

Justin leaned his head back onto Brian's shoulder and moaned. “Close Brian,”

“I know, just let it go.”

And he did. He lost himself to the feel of the hot water sluicing down their bodies. Of the shocking jolt of indescribable pleasure when Brian rolled his hips and changed his angle, of the glorious feeling of safety when he eventually released his hands and wrapped his long tanned arms around his pale body and held him close, his feet practically lifting off the tile with each pump of his hips.

Brian gently cupped the kids balls, rolling them around, feeling his body shudder against him as his hand finally wrapped around his thick hard shaft. He stroked, squeezing a little and running his thumb across the slit on each upstroke, causing Justin to gasp and whimper.

“Brian, I’m gonna…. aruuggghhhh”

Brian smiled at the sound as he pushed in again and fought against Justin's spasms, which were trying to push him out. He stayed inside his hot tight channel. Letting the feel of his ass clamping down on him pull his own orgasm to the surface. He came, biting Justin's shoulder, pulling his body even closer. They were both out of breath; hearts racing when Brian leaned himself back against the wall for support, taking Justin with him.

After several moments they completed the actual getting clean portion of the shower and were just emerging in matching hotel supplied robes when a knock at the door announced that room service had arrived.

Justin was laying on the bed, spent, damp and freshly fucked when Brian wheeled the cart in.

He sat up quickly, his earlier lethargy forgotten at the prospect of food.

He finished half a club sandwich in seconds while Brian watched, amused. Justin blushed. 

“I was hungry.” He said around a mouth full of fries.

Brian sat next to him, realizing that he was actually hungry as well. He picked up a triangle of sandwich and began to pick it apart, removing the mayonnaise and half the bacon.

“You should eat more, you’re too skinny.”

“The camera adds ten pounds.”

“What’s Chaz gonna do with the stuff we filmed?”

“He’s working it into a film, making it a short or something.” Brian looked over at Justin who had suddenly stopped eating. “What’s wrong?”

“I guess I never really thought about other people watching it.”

“Does it really bother you?”

“Doesn’t it bother you?”

“Not really, it pays the rent.”

“I know not now, but didn’t it ever.”

Brian shrugged, “maybe, but it was a long time ago. I did what I had to do. Just like you did. Nothing to be ashamed of.”  
Justin nodded, trying to put it out of his head. “I guess.” He munched on another fry thoughtfully. “If I gave Chaz back the money, do you think he’d um…?”

Brian shook his head. “That movie could have made you a star, and it’s gonna make Chaz millions, I don’t think there’s anything that could get him to part with it.”

Justin’s shoulders slumped a little.

“Hey, it’s okay, no one you know is going to see it, and you were great.”

“I was horrible.”

“Well, you couldn’t remember your lines, but you were a natural.”

“You kept distracting me, that’s why I couldn’t remember my lines. And I was not a natural, I didn’t know what I was doing, if you hadn’t have been there…I would have been a wreck.”

“But I was there.”

“Lucky for me.”

“Lucky for ME.” Brian smirked. He leaned in to kiss Justin’s ketchup stained lips.

“I think we both got lucky that day.” Justin mumbled as he fell back against the mattress and Brian's body covered him. Their robes fell open and his skin responded to Brian's touch instantly.

When they finally slept they were both sated and exhausted. 

Justin awoke at five at night. He’d slept most of the previous day but Brian hadn’t. He wanted to go out, he’d been stuck inside small rooms for two days but he had promised Brian he wouldn’t take off again. If he left and Brian woke up…he didn’t want to think about what Brian would do, or how angry he’d be. 

His phone rang. 

Brian woke up at the sound of the phone. He watched as Justin’s body stiffened. 

“No.”

“I told you I didn’t need a place that badly.”

Brian’s body was tense watching Justin's reaction to the phone call.

“Thank you for your suggestions, but I’ll be fine.” He hung up the phone.

“Who was that?”

“Someone I’d called about a place.”

“What did he want?”

Justin sighed. “He wanted me to blow him. I went there, he tried to get me to suck him off. I told him no. He called to give me a second chance at the room for rent.”

“What’s his name?”

“Why?”

“Where was this place?”

“It doesn’t matter Brian. Seriously, you don’t have to beat up everyone who wants me. I really can take care of myself.”

“Did he…”

“He didn’t do anything, he offered, I said no and left. Can’t blame a guy for trying right?” Justin shrugged.

“Is that how you hurt your ankle.”

“Brian, could you please stop trying to blame this on someone so that you have something to attack? I tripped, I really did. This guy had nothing to do with that. I tripped. I found a cheap hotel room, and I figured in a couple of days I’d find a job and a place to stay.”

“But I found you first.”

“Yeah, you did.”

“So now you have a place to stay, and you don’t need a job.”

“I’m still getting a job.”

Brian harrumphed. “You don’t need one.”

“I do if I want to go to school next year.” Justin had no intention of going to school but he knew it would shut Brian up. He was right.

Brian wasn’t sure the kid was serious. He was probably lying just to shut him up. He let him win this time.

“Hey, do you think now that my parents are finished with me I could work for Chaz again?”

“No.”

“You don’t think Chaz would let me? He told me when the whole thing died down to give him a call.”

“Justin, is that really what you want to do? A couple of hours ago you were upset at the thought of your first film being released, now you want to make another one?”

“It pays a hell of a lot better than the gap.”

Brian reminded himself to talk to Chaz, make sure he didn’t hire the kid again. He’d find a way to ensure it…even if it came down to an ultimatum.

“Lets go to the museum.”

Brian looked at him like he might be drunk. “What?”

“I’ve always wanted to go to the MOMA and we’re in New York, and…”

“Fine.”

Brian pulled on his jeans and realized that they were in desperate need of laundering. “We’ve got to stop somewhere first. I need clothes that I haven’t been wearing for 72 hours.”

“I haven’t been gone that long.”

“Yeah but these were on the floor from the other day when I put them on…and I spent the night in La Guardia.” 

“You never did tell me how you found me.”

“All in good time. Lets start here. Give me my credit card back.”

Justin blushed as he handed it back to him. “I didn’t mean to use it, I only wanted to confirm the flight, and I paid…”

“I know, honest thief, we’ve covered that…you know what…keep it. Just in case of emergencies. ACTUAL emergencies, not your strong desire to go get yourself hurt.”

“Brian I can’t.”

“Keep it, I’ll feel better knowing you have it.”

“You just want me to leave a paper trail.”

“I don’t want you to leave.”

“Well, okay, I’ll keep it if we can go to the museum.”

“Lets go.”

Shopping was something Brian did meticulously. That was hard to do with Justin tugging at his sleeve asking him to hurry up, so he went with basics. Levi’s a t-shirt and clean socks. He bought a few other things in case they stayed longer and shoved his old clothes in a separate bag.

“Can we go now?”

“Yes.”

“Finally.”

“That is the shortest time I’ve ever spent shopping.”

“It’s the longest I’ve ever spent. Christ you are pickier than my mom.”

The museum was open late, there was a new exhibit, and Brian eventually gave up and sat on the wide bench in the middle of the room while Justin viewed each piece from every possible angle. 

They finally left when the museum was closing. Justin seemed calmer, more at peace. 

“I wish I could paint.”

“Why can’t you?”

“It’s too expensive, and messy, my father put up with the cost of sketch books and stuff, but canvas and paint, not to mention the supplies… I tried once, he made my mom take it all back.”

Brian nodded, trying to think of new and fun ways to kill Craig. He had no patience for anyone who had no patience for Justin these days.

They stopped for dinner and Brian was listening contentedly while Justin chattered on about his friend Daphne, his sister molly, his summers at camp etc. Brian somehow felt better knowing that all of Justin's childhood hadn’t been awful. He had imagined Craig to be far more controlling, far more like his own father, but Justin had a seemingly endless supply of happy memories.

After dessert, and a second bottle of wine they walked arm in arm back towards the hotel. Justin was too far-gone to do anything more amusing than pass out once Brian unlocked the door.

He sat, watching the boy sleep, his shape barely discernable in the dark room. His mind was pitching tough questions, and he had no idea what the answers might be. 

Why did he care? When did he start caring? What was he doing? What was he going to do? Had he really just committed the next four months of his life to raising a teenager? Did he mind? Who was he and what had happened to Brian fucking Kinney?

He lay on his back, his head still spinning with questions. Justin turned in his sleep, wrapping his body around Brian’s. Resting his shoulder on his chest. Throwing a leg over his. Brian slept, the answers unimportant for the moment.


	16. A Shooting Star

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A Shooting Star  
Chapter 16  


* * *

Both Brian and Justin were oddly nervous about returning to the loft, although for different reasons.

They drove back from the airport in almost complete silence. Justin fidgeting with his backpack zipper incessantly until Brian finally put his hand atop the smaller one to stop its constant movement. They still said nothing.

They said nothing in the elevator. They said nothing as Brian unlocked the door. They said nothing as each of them grabbed a beer from the fridge. Justin sat down in front of the television, randomly flipping channels. Brian sat in front of the computer checking his email and basically avoiding Justin.

His brain was spinning. What the fuck did I agree to? Have I gone insane? This place is barely big enough for me…well, it’s fine for me, but I’ve never lived with anyone, not full time, there’s no way this is going to work. 

And then his brain would switch gears as he considered the options.

He can’t get his own place. I want him here. He won’t be safe out there. He could go back to his parents if he gets too scared, or end up in trouble again, he has to stay here. I want him here. 

Brian did his best to ignore how many times the little “I want him here” statement came up as his thoughts circled.

Justin was doing his best not to cry. He didn’t want to be so grateful to be back. He didn’t want to be so fucking dependant on anyone. He’d dreamed of going away to college for years. Getting away from his family and being who he wanted to be, not what they wanted him to be. And here he was, sitting on a stranger’s sofa, watching a strangers TV and blissfully grateful that he didn’t have to go out and figure out who he wanted to be for a little while longer. He loved Brian. He tried desperately to push that to the back of his mind. To stop thinking it every time he glanced over at the man but it didn’t work. The problem was, he knew what would happen if he admitted his love. Brian would laugh.

Brian would give him one of those patented “we’re not really anything to each other” sentences and walk away. Then he WOULD cry. Justin tried to focus on something, the television, the fear of starting school soon, the pain in his ankle, anything other than how happy he was to be here and how miserable it was to love someone you lived with and still feel lonely. He wiped the tear quickly.

Brian looked up and caught the action. 

“You okay? Your ankle hurting again?”

Justin nodded, happy to have a reasonable excuse for the tear.

Brian unzipped the side pocket of Justin's duffle bag and removed a couple of the pills, handing them to him. Justin was about to take them when Brian’s hand wrapped around his wrist. 

“Not with beer.”

Justin lowered the bottle and Brian brought him water. “Safer.”

“Thanks.”

“You should probably be back on crutches for a little while.”

“The doctor said I didn’t need them anymore.”

“The doctor hasn’t seen the new damage.”

Justin sighed. “I’ll use the crutches for the next couple of days if you promise we don’t have to go back and see that asshole.”

“Three days, and if it gets worse, you’re going anyway.”

“I don’t want to…”

“You’re going anyway.”

“Fine.”

“Good, see, it’s easy to settle these arguments.”

“It’s not settled I just gave in.”

Brian smiled, “that’s the way I like things settled.”

“Pfft. You just like to be bossy. I think you’re secretly a leather daddy.”

“You do huh?”

“Yeah, you’re very dominant.”

“Only with twinks with no common sense.”

“Would you stop saying that? I have common sense.”

Brian nodded. “Good, prove it.”

“How?”

“Go a week without requiring my leather daddy tendencies.”

“But what if I like your leather daddy tendencies?”

”Then just ask for them, don’t get yourself hurt just to see them.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay. I’m asking.”

“You want to see them right now?”

Justin smiled; it was a small flirtatious grin. He stood up, kissing Brian on the shoulder as he did his best to limp sexily. He cast a glance over his shoulder. “You coming?”

“Stop.”

Justin looked surprised. “What?”

“If I’m in charge…you don’t just get to wander off into the bedroom alone.”

“Oh, sorry.”

Brian shook his head. “Sorry’s not gonna do it this time.”

Justin felt the butterflies in his stomach. “What will?”

Brian walked past him and sat on the bed. He crooked a finger motioning for Justin to come closer.

Justin took a step forward hesitating slightly. “Brian I…”

“Shhhh now’s not the time for you to talk.”

Justin was hard now, and lowered his eyes trying to stay in the moment.

“Good boy, now come here.”

Justin walked further toward Brian until one of Brian's knees was between his.

Brian watched the boy carefully. He’d started this and he was pretty sure he knew why. He wanted to be punished. He wanted to know how angry Brian was. He wanted to feel this. Brian shifted a little as his jeans became tighter around his erection. He wanted to show the kid how angry he was, how scared he’d been. How much he cared.

“Get your clothes off” Brian whispered into his ear as his hands pushed Justin back a few inches.

Justin complied. 

“Good, now get on the bed, hands and knees.” 

Justin whimpered but said nothing. He crawled onto the bed and felt Brian pull him backwards towards the edge of the mattress.

Justin spread his legs but Brian pushed them back together. “Not 'til I tell you to.”

Justin understood the rules, he said nothing, and he tried not to make a noise. He wanted to show Brian that he was sorry, that he’d be good from now on. He wanted to prove he could be good.

Brian scratched lightly down Justin’s back making the boy arch, his ass pushing out further. “That’s the way I like you” Brian said and Justin’s ass rose even higher.

He took off his belt and threw it in front of Justin’s head on the bed. The boy could see nothing else as his eyes focused on the thick black leather. “I’m going to use that on you today.”

Justin said nothing.

“You want me to don’t you?”

Justin nodded.

“What?”

“Yes.” Justin said.

Brian smiled. “Tell me how much.”

“A lot, I want you to use your belt on me. I need you to…”

“Enough” Brian’s voice was forceful now. He pushed the cold lube against Justin’s hole and pushed his fingers in. He felt the wet hot warmth as Justin squeezed against his fingers. He pushed in a third and felt him spread his legs. “Back together.”

Justin whimpered but complied.

Brian continued to fuck him with one hand, his other sliding gently across the boy’s hard cock. “You’re dripping.”

Justin said nothing.

“You deserve this punishment you know.”

Justin nodded.

“Tell me.”

“I deserve to be punished.”

Brian pulled the belt back and Justin's eyes again locked on it, watching it move slowly across the dark duvet. “Raise your head up Justin.”

He did.

“Keep it up, don’t look down.”

“I’ll try.”

The first blow came. “You will.”

Justin's head dropped and Brian repeated the stroke “you will.”

Justin lifted his head again, trying to keep his head up. His arms were shaking and the wide strap came down again and again on the same sensitive spot where his ass met his legs. He tried to move, to make it hit another spot but no matter what he did the belt was accurate. 

The blows stopped after a minute. Justin was crying silently. Brian pushed his hand against his shoulder blades. “Head down now.”

The duvet soaked up most of the tears but Brian's thumb rubbed down one cheek collecting a few. He pushed the pad of his thumb into Justin's mouth and the boy sucked. “You’re doing well. Keep your head down.”

Justin nodded against the soft feel of the comforter as Brian moved back, his hands caressing Justin's back and punished ass before he stood back completely and brought the blows down again, harder this time.

Justin had thought he wanted this. Knew he wanted this. Still wanted this, if he was honest with himself, but the pain was unbearable. Each time the belt came down he cried out, which seemed to only spur Brian on, making the blows come faster and harder. He was crying harder now, begging Brian to stop, but even as he did he pushed his ass out further, presenting himself for the punishment.

“Spread your legs wide now Justin.”

He did, his knees spreading apart as his face turned bright red with shame. 

“So hot, so good.” Brian said as Justin moved his knees closer to his arms.

The first blow came to his inner thigh and his legs closed automatically in protection.

“Open them for me Justin.”

He didn’t want to. It hurt too much. “I can tie them open, would you like that?”

Justin shook his head and moved his knees apart again. His brain was on overload. He should want them to be tied, to be forced, then it wouldn’t be such a submission but he realized, as his body moved almost against his will that he wanted to submit, to show Brian that he would. To prove himself. He spread them as wide as they would go.

“Good boy.” Brian said and Justin felt a swell of pride at the words.

Brian's hands rubbed gently between his thighs, stroking at Justin's leaking cock, fondling his balls. “I want you to come while I’m punishing you.”

Justin nodded.

Brian started again wrapping the belt around his hand several times so that the strap was short, which gave him more control. He whipped hard between Justin's thighs, watching the pale sensitive skin turn bright red. Watching thin welts rise where the edges caught the skin. He watched fascinated as the tip caught his balls. Justin jerked back and then pushed himself apart further, as if begging silently for more.

Brian didn’t stop, the belt coming down against his ass, his thighs, his legs. Eventually he stopped “pull them apart for me.”

Justin had been moaning, begging, pleading for the last few minutes and when the blows stopped he had trouble processing what Brian had said. When he finally did he shook his head quickly against the bed. “Brian no.”

“What did you just say?” Brian emphasized the question with a snap of the belt against Justin's ass.

Justin realized that he had no choice, not if he wanted to comply; he moved his hands back spreading his ass cheeks apart. 

“That’s my good boy.”

Again his chest swelled with pride while his brain screamed at the humiliation of holding himself apart for such treatment.

Brian wielded the belt with a deadly accuracy and Justin jumped each time the tip of the belt landed hard against his wet and tender hole. He would do anything to make it stop now but Brian wasn’t ready. 

He watched the boy jump at each connection and did it again, making sure he’d remember the punishment that came with running away. Making sure he understood that he deserved this. Making sure that he would feel this for a while.

He finally stopped. Stopped all of it. “You haven’t come.”

Justin moved his hand towards his cock, ready to stroke himself to orgasm, wanting to do it quickly so that Brian wouldn’t continue the blows against his ass, the burning pain, the amazing heat, all combined to make him want to come but he’d been to scared.

“No.” Justin’s hand moved quickly off of himself before he even registered the command. “Roll over.”

Justin did. Brian positioned him his knees spread, his feet planted on the bed. When Justin realized what he had in mind he gave a look of panic. But when his eyes met Brian's he exhaled and calmed a little. Brian wasn’t mad. He was turned on. Justin moved his knees a little further apart.

“Brian please.”

“Please what?’

“Please…”

“Do you want me to stop?”

Justin shook his head. “Please more.” He said. His body and mind all in agreement for once, he wanted to come.

Brian brought the belt down on his thighs, against his dick, a little more lightly against his balls. “Come for me Justin.” And Justin arched his back, pushing his body towards the blows and came, his face red from shame, his body shuddering at the release.

When he was done he almost collapsed, his entire body feeling the effects. Brian dragged the belt across his belly and brought it to Justin's lips where he licked at it, tasting himself and the leather. “Kiss it.” Brian commanded.

He did, his humiliation complete. His heart full.

Brian quickly divested himself of his own clothes and lay back on the bed. Pulling Justin to him he quickly put on a condom. “I want to fuck you.”

Justin moaned moving himself down Brian's body ready to impale himself on the man. He held his hard member straight up and lowered himself onto it. As it hit his hole he felt the sting and burn. The punishment Brian had lavished onto his tender flesh was evident in each movement he made. He moved slowly.

“Sore?”

Justin nodded.

“I like you when you’re sore like this. Red and sore and punished.”

“I like it too.” Justin said, his head thrown back, the burn, the pain, and all part of the euphoria as he lowered himself fully onto Brian.

Justin rode him hard, and Brian placed his hands on Justin's waist, holding him still as he bucked up and slammed into him hard and punishing. “You’re ass is so hot. I should always fuck you when your ass is burning from a good spanking.” Justin moaned letting Brian's words wash over him as he became hard again.

Brian came quickly, having held off thus far. Justin came soon after him shooting against the both of them.

Eventually Justin's lay against Brian crying into his shoulder and feeling his strong arms wrapped around him. Listening to his soft soothing words.

A few hours later they both awoke and showered.

“You were a good boy.” He said as he shampooed the blonde’s hair.

Justin ducked his head and smiled.

When they finished showering Justin was about to put on his clothes when Brian pulled him forward. “We’re not done yet.”

“Brian I don’t think…”

But Justin was bent over Brian's lap. 

Justin’s mind raced, he didn’t know if he could take another spanking so quickly but then he felt the cold of the lube against his asshole. He moaned as Brian used his fingers expertly, tapping against his prostate until he was moaning and finally came. Then he felt something cold enter him. It was wide. Justin whimpered and gasped as Brian twisted it a bit and pushed it further in. “You’ll wear that today.” He said as Justin felt it settle his small ring of muscle holding it in place.

Justin stood up and nodded, putting on his clothes. Each time he sat he was reminded of his punishment, of Brian’s presence and of how much he wanted Brian inside him at that very moment.


	17. Chapter 17

  
Author's notes:

So this is it.  Last chapter.

I am seriously considering a sequel but for right now i think i've taken this particular story everywhere it needed to go.  I want to thank everyone for all the feedback.

* * *

* * *

 

 

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A Shooting Star 

****

Chapter 17

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****

* * *

“Brian, I don’t want to.”

   


“I thought you were going to be a good boy?” Brian leaned in to kiss Justin's shoulder still wet from the shower.

   


He leaned his head back against Brian's chest, his eyes closed.  “I am, but why does it involve torture?”

   


“I thought you liked it when I tortured you?”

   


“When you do it, yeah, but this is different.”

   


Brian snaked his arms around Justin's waist pulling him against his chest.  “You’ll be fine, besides, it was part of the deal.  Now go get dressed.”  Brian turned the two of them towards the bedroom and pushed the kid gently towards the bed where his clothes were waiting.

   


Justin pouted and grumbled. Forty-five minutes later they were in the school office.  Justin was still grumbling and Brian was filling out forms.  By the time he was done he was grumbling too.  It didn’t take too much “creative truth telling” to get Justin enrolled. His transcripts would be sent from his previous school as soon as they faxed the release of information forms Justin had signed.  If the school refused to send them…well they’d wait five days, by then he’d be 18 and no one could refuse his request for his records. 

   


He spent about twenty minutes with a counselor setting up a schedule that would allow him to graduate in June with the rest of the senior class and then he shuffled off to third period.  

   


Brian left.  It was only ten am and Chaz was expecting him at the studio.  He was about to take off when he saw a familiar blonde head leaning against a wall smoking.  He got out of the car and strode across the lawn.  “Aren’t you supposed to be in class?”

   


Justin rolled his eyes.  “I need a cigarette before I have to face all this again.”

   


“Yeah, this is gonna be stellar, you get suspended for smoking on campus BEFORE your first day.”  Brian took the cigarette from him.  “I promise, you can have one as soon as you get back to the loft.”

   


“But…”

   


“Go to class.”

   


Justin leaned in to kiss him. Brian used all his restraint to keep it chaste.  “We’re on school grounds, do you really want to get beat up in the locker room on your first day?”

   


“I don’t have to take phys. Ed. ‘cause of my ankle and ribs remember?”

   


“Still better to keep a low profile in school.”

   


Justin pulled Brian by his shirt until he fell forward against him.  “Low profiles are for losers.”  He nuzzled at the spot just below his adams apple that sent shivers down his entire body.  For a moment Brian gave in, leaning his head back.  Justin stood on his tiptoes and wrapped his arms around the taller mans neck, pulling his head in for a deeper kiss.  Brian responded for a moment.  And then pulled back. 

   


“Feel better?’

   


“A little.”

   


“Good. Now go be a good boy and I promise we’ll pick up where we left off when you finish you’re homework.”

   


Justin took Brian's hand, lifted it to his mouth and took one last drag off of the cigarette he was still holding.  “HEY!”

   


Justin smiled widely and exhaled.  “I’ll be home by three probably.”

   


“Yeah well I have no idea what time I’ll be done.  Chaz probably has thirty scenes for me to shoot today to get us back on schedule but I’ll call when I know.”

   


“Okay.”

   


“Come straight home anyway.”

   


“Brian.”

   


“Come straight home.”

   


“Fine.”

   


“Later.”

   


“Later.”

   


Brian watched him actually enter the building and then sat in the car for another fifteen minutes to make sure he didn’t try to escape again before he headed off to work himself.

   


Justin read his schedule.  At least he had an art class.  Spanish was easy enough; he’d taken it for four years at St. James, and right now he had…Ugh, History or Western Civ.  He’d taken that in like freshman year, what was it doing on his senior schedule.  He walked into class and tried to think of something that was worse than this.  The only thing he could think of was breeder sex or actually having to live through the 14th century when bathing was considered a sign of the devil.  He slid quietly into a desk in the back row and started to sketch in his notebook.

   


~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~

   


“You’re late.”

   


“I’m here.”

   


“Brian, we’re so behind that I’m not sure we can even afford to finish this film.”

   


“Chaz, you say that almost every time we make one.”

   


“Because you put us behind schedule almost every time we make one.”

   


“Fuck off.”

   


“Whatever, go see makeup and wardrobe.”

   


Brian sighed, relieved, he’d expected worse.

   


Chaz watched him walk away and sighed, relieved, he had wondered if he’d ever see his star back in the studio again.  That kid had been a casting mistake of epic proportions.

   


The scenes were easy, the dialogue lame, the action vanilla, the actors professionals, and the day went quickly considering.  Mostly it went quickly because for the time being Brian didn’t have to wonder what kind of danger his little blonde was getting himself into.  He was in school, where the worst thing that could happen was getting shot by a disgruntled student or buying some bad drugs.

   


It was 8:30 before Chaz called it a wrap for the day.  

   


Brian called Justin to tell him he was on the way home.  There was no answer.  He called the loft phone.  No answer.  He called Justin's cell again.  Still no answer.  He started to panic.

   


He made it back to the loft more quickly than usual and took the stairs two at a time.  He was already tired from a full day of shooting and was out of breath by the time he reached the top floor.  He fumbled with his keys but the door was unlocked.  His heart was already racing, now it was pounding in his ears.  

   


“Justin!”

   


Justin sat up from what had obviously been a deep sleep.  “You’re home.”  He smiled, rubbing his eyes.

   


Brian dropped his head.  His shoulders slumped.  “I’m home, where the fuck were you?”

   


“I fell asleep.  I was tired.  Why are you all sweaty?”

   


Brian huffed out a laugh.  “Never mind.  You hungry?”

   


“Starving, I was waiting for you for dinner.”

   


He took another deep breath, trying to wrap his brain around the fact that he was about to utter the next sentence.  “Did you finish your homework?”

   


Justin nodded.  “I didn’t have much, first day and all.”

   


“Diner?”

   


“Sure.”

   


They walked together.  When they were finally settled and had ordered Brian was calm enough to ask Justin about his first day.

   


“It was boring.  They’re going over stuff I already know.  If I could get my old computer from my parent’s house I wouldn’t have any homework at all, I’ve already written all these papers, done all these assignments, like two years ago.  And the kids are stupid.”

   


“Stupid kids hmmm, never came across one of them myself.”

   


“Shut up, I mean they’re so…immature.”

   


“Yes, unlike you, who’s really lived.”

   


“Hey, I’ve been a porn star.”

   


Brian laughed, “Yes you have, and a runaway, and a go-go boy.  You’ve lived a lot in the last couple of weeks.”  

   


“Maybe it’ll be good to go back to boring.”

   


“You know sunshine, I don’t think things with you are ever really going to be boring.”

   
   
   
THE END.


End file.
